2 sentenced to death for Cole bomb
'Mastermind' facing execution is in U.S. custody
SAN'A, Yemen (CNN) -- A Yemeni court has handed down death sentences to two men -- one currently in U.S. custody -- for their roles in the bombing of the USS Cole, an official source in San'a said.
The court Wednesday also sentenced four others to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years for their involvement in the attack, which killed 17 U.S. sailors.
In the October 12, 2000 bombing, blamed on Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network, a pair of suicide bombers pulled an explosives-laden boat alongside the 505-foot destroyer just after it arrived in Aden harbor to refuel.
The subsequent blast ripped a 40-by-40-foot hole in the side of the ship, killing the sailors along with both bombers. Thirty-nine sailors were wounded.
Saudi-born Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri -- believed to be the mastermind behind the attack -- and a Yemeni man, Jamal al-Badawi, were sentenced to death for plotting, preparing and being involved in the bombing.
Al-Nashiri, who is being held in U.S. custody at an undisclosed location, is also suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The defendants, all Yemenis, broke into cries of "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest) upon hearing the sentence. "This is an injust verdict, this is an American verdict," screamed Badawi after he was sentenced.
His brother Ahmed said there would be an appeal. He told Reuters: "We ask President Ali Abdullah Saleh to intervene and lessen the sentence."
The six men were all charged with belonging to al Qaeda and playing various roles in the attack on the Cole, which was carried out by suicide bombers Ibrahim al-Thawr and Abdullah al-Misawa, both Yemenis.
Judge Najib al-Qaderi sentenced Fahd al-Qasa to 10 years in jail for filming the bombing.
The court heard that al-Qasa had traveled to Afghanistan in 1997 to train at an al Qaeda terrorist camp, but it was unclear how long he spent there before returning to Yemen.
Maamoun Msouh received an eight-year prison term for delivering money used in preparing and executing the attack and playing a close role in assisting al-Badawi.
 17 American sailors died in the attack on the USS Cole. |  |
Ali Mohamed Saleh and Murad al-Sirouri were sentenced to five years in prison for forging identification documents for al-Misawa.
All the men sentenced on Wednesday are expected to appeal their sentences within 15 days, according to al-Badawi's brother.
Yemen, a tribal-dominated country located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is the ancestral home of bin Laden.
The country cracked down on militant groups and aligned itself with the U.S.-led war on terror following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The United States has since provided equipment to Yemen's military to beef up port and border controls and trained Yemeni security forces to battle militants in the country, which has long been known for tolerating Islamic extremists.
CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this story
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
