Jamal al-BadawiJamal al-Badawi was one of the al-Qaeda masterminds behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 American Sailors. His group was also blamed for the bombing of a French oil tanker in 2002 and an ancient temple earlier this year that killed eight Spanish tourists. He was released by the Yemeni government after promising to never ever do that again!

He originally was sentenced to death for his murder of American Soldiers. That sentence was commuted to 15 years in prison. He has escaped twice, the first time in 2003 and the second time in 2004. He has not been in prison since his second escape. Tribal elders brokered him turning himself in a couple of weeks ago after his latest escape because he ‘renounced jihad’. But then, Jihad isn’t a crime in Yemen.

In other words, this murderer of American Sailors, al-Qaeda fighter and enemy combatant has spent very little time in prison.

He is now a free man because he promised he wouldn’t do jihad again.

Meanwhile, al-Qaeda is actively recruiting suicide bombers in Yemen.

Also Thursday, a second security official said police have uncovered a terrorist cell composed of four extremists who were recruiting young Yemenis to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq and elsewhere.

The four were allegedly receiving funds from abroad and were recruiting young men in their twenties from mosques and religious seminars during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said the official, citing their confessions. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

So, he and his buddies blow up a United States war ship, kill US Sailors and basically get away with it. They have conducted and pulled off other attacks since then that have resulted in the deaths of foreign nationals (the French and Spanish). They are known to be currently actively recruiting suicide bombers, receiving Osama bin Laden funds and working to radicalize whatever muslim youth are not already radicalized in Yemen.

And now he and others are free to continue their activities unfettered.

So much for the criminal justice model for dealing with enemies of the State. How safe do you feel?

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Update: And just yesterday Bush praised Yemen for its role in combating terrorism through Francis Townsend, Bush’s assistant for Internal Security and Combating Terrorism Affairs.