Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Office of

Media & Public Affairs

Washington, DC
Press Statement
September 1, 2010

Earlier today (06:00PM Central European Time – 12:00PM Local time), the
Dutch authorities have released the two Yemeni passengers detained
Monday morning for “suspicious activities”. Both the U.S and Dutch
authorities have cleared the passengers of any criminal wrongdoings. The
Yemeni government was working closely with its international partners to
hasten the investigation and expedite the release of its citizen.

According, to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the passengers

were carrying items that were not deemed to be dangerous. It was also
found that the Yemeni passengers missed their connecting flight to
Washington, DC and were subsequently rebooked on a flight to Amsterdam.

Public was cautioned not to jump into early conclusions before investigations
took its course. Unfortunately, some news outlets played a significant role in
exaggerating the circumstances behind their arrests and what was initially a
security inspection quickly became a media sensation highlighting an
unfortunate, yet ongoing misunderstanding of Yemen and its citizens.

It is important to emphasize that Yemen is a victim of terrorism as well, with

Al-Qaeda operatives having killed over fifty Yemenis in the past three
months. Americans of Yemeni descent will soon be joining their fellow US
citizens in New York City to mourn the loss of their Yemeni brethrens killed
during the heinous attacks of September 11.

We would like to reiterate our shared commitment to address security

challenges posed by Al-Qaeda through an inclusive approach. We will also
continue to strengthen existing partnerships with our regional and
international allies.

Mohammed Albasha,

Spokesman

Embassy of the Republic of Yemen

Washington, D.C.
Embassy of the Republic of Yemen Office of
Media & Public Affairs
Washington, DC