Yemen frees 92 'repentant' al-Qaeda followers

[rooboy]

Yemen's government today freed 92 followers of the al-Qaeda terrorist network after they promised to behave.

A further 1,500 other inmates were also released in a Ramadan amnesty, a Yemeni judge responsible for dialogue with suspected terrorists said.

The judge, Hammoud al-Hitar, added that 65 detainees suspected of terror-related crimes, including suspects in the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000, would be put on trial after the end of this month.

Al-Hitar, who heads a committee that encourages terrorists to renounce violence, told The Associated Press that the 92 al-Qaeda suspects arrested since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, had repented and promised to obey Yemen's constitution and laws.

They declared they would respect "the rights of non-Muslims, their lives, money, and (promised) not to target embassies of friendly countries," al-Hitar said. The dialogue with the detained terror suspects began at the end of last year.

At least 70 repentant militants have been released by Yemen in the last two years.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/17/1069027027696.html