Statement by Rudy Giuliani Regarding the Release of Jamal al-Badawi by the Government of Yemen

Rudy Giuliani made the following statement today:

"Yesterday, the government of Yemen set free Jamal al-Badawi, the al-Qaeda mastermind behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 American sailors and wounded many others. This is unacceptable. Yemen must turn over al-Badawi to the U.S. for trial in the Southern District of New York, where he already is under indictment for the USS Cole attack.

"Until al-Badawi is re-arrested, America should use all the means at its disposal to pressure Yemen to stop siding with terrorists. As a first step, I urge the U.S. Government to cancel the more than $20 million in aid scheduled to be delivered to Yemen.

"Terrorists must be held accountable for their actions and so must the governments that offer them safe harbor."