Killing of British tourists in Yemen
Encyclopedia
On December 28, 1998, 16 tourists (12 Britons, two Americans, and two Australians) were kidnapped in Abyan Governorate, Yemen
. They had been traveling in a convoy of five vehicles when they were attacked; a British tourist and a Yemeni guide escaped while the kidnappers took the hostages to al-Wadi'a, 250 miles south of Sana'a
.
The next day, 200 Yemeni troops surrounded the kidnappers and the hostages. Yemeni troops then stormed the kidnappers' hideout, and in the resulting gunbattle four hostages were killed and two were injured. Two kidnappers were killed and four arrested. The dead hostages were Britons Margaret Whitehouse, Ruth Williamson, and Peter Rowe, and Australian Andrew Thirsk.
Two kidnappers were also killed in the gunbattle, and four arrested. The men belonged to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army
.
ic kidnappers faced sentencing in the killings. Abu Hassan (real name: Zein Al-Abidine al-Mihdar), the group's leader, and two accomplices, Abudullah Saleh al-Junaidy and Saleh Abu Huraira, were convicted of kidnapping and murder and sentenced to death. A fourth gang member, Ahmed Mohammed Atif, was sentenced to 20 years. His brother, Saad, was found not guilty.
Another survivor, Susan Mattocks, a teacher of religion from Ramsgate
, also opposed execution.
Abu Hamza
, the London
-based cleric accused of sending Britons to train with the Islamic Army of Aden, said the sentences would provoke retaliation.
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. They had been traveling in a convoy of five vehicles when they were attacked; a British tourist and a Yemeni guide escaped while the kidnappers took the hostages to al-Wadi'a, 250 miles south of Sana'a
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
.
The next day, 200 Yemeni troops surrounded the kidnappers and the hostages. Yemeni troops then stormed the kidnappers' hideout, and in the resulting gunbattle four hostages were killed and two were injured. Two kidnappers were killed and four arrested. The dead hostages were Britons Margaret Whitehouse, Ruth Williamson, and Peter Rowe, and Australian Andrew Thirsk.
Two kidnappers were also killed in the gunbattle, and four arrested. The men belonged to the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army
Aden-Abyan Islamic Army
The Aden-Abyan Islamic Army is an Islamist militant organization based in southern Yemen. The group was responsible for kidnapping of 16 foreign tourists in the December 1998 in Abyan. Yemeni government forces attacked place where the hostages were being held resulting in four of the hostages...
.
Kidnappers' trial
On May 5, 1999, the four IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic kidnappers faced sentencing in the killings. Abu Hassan (real name: Zein Al-Abidine al-Mihdar), the group's leader, and two accomplices, Abudullah Saleh al-Junaidy and Saleh Abu Huraira, were convicted of kidnapping and murder and sentenced to death. A fourth gang member, Ahmed Mohammed Atif, was sentenced to 20 years. His brother, Saad, was found not guilty.
Opposition to death sentence
Laurence Whitehouse, whose wife Margaret was shot in the head while trying to help another hostage, said she would not have wanted their execution.
"Margaret and I were both opposed to death penalties. We think it is immoral. No one has the right to take anyone else's lives. But I do hope that appropriate justice is given to the people involved in taking us hostage and killing four innocent tourists."
Another survivor, Susan Mattocks, a teacher of religion from Ramsgate
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century and is a member of the ancient confederation of Cinque Ports. It has a population of around 40,000. Ramsgate's main attraction is its coastline and its main...
, also opposed execution.
"Provided there has been a fair trial, and all the evidence has been aired openly, I think justice should be done, but in terms of prison sentences, not the death penalty."
Abu Hamza
Abu Hamza al-Masri
Abu Hamza al-Masri is an Egyptian Sunni activist known for his preaching of a violent and politicised interpretation of Islam, also known as militant Islamism or jihadism...
, the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based cleric accused of sending Britons to train with the Islamic Army of Aden, said the sentences would provoke retaliation.
"I believe it will ignite and spark something which the YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
government can't afford. The sentence will make the Islamic Army of Aden pull together and restructure.
The sentence is totally unjust. Islamic law says that no Muslim should be killed for the blood of a non-Muslim."