SAN`A, Yemen - Yemeni authorities have released 113 militants belonging to the al-Qaida network — including at least five once accused of involvement in the deadly bombing of the USS Cole (news - web sites) — after they recanted their extremist views, security officials said Thursday.
The militants once accused in the USS Cole bombing were later cleared. The 15 Yemeni militants convicted in August of involvement in the 2000 bombing, which killed 17 U.S. sailors, were not released.
The 113 men were released during the past two weeks after signing pledges not to carry out terror acts or criminal activities.
Last month, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said more than 1,800 convicts, including al-Qaida members, would be released from prisons for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holiday following it. Ramadan ended in mid-November.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=3&u=/ap/20041125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/yemen_al_qaida
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