Yemen releases RI students held in crackdown<\/p>\n
Yemen has released 22 Indonesian students arrested in a
\ncrackdown on foreign students attending religious schools, a
\nsecurity official said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"After interrogating the Indonesian students it was decided
\nthat they can stay in Yemen if they so desired,\" the official
\ntold Reuters. He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Yemen, keen to rid itself of its reputation as a haven for
\nMuslim militants, imposed restrictions last month on foreign
\nstudents, teachers and Muslim clerics living in the country as
\npart of a drive to combat Islamic extremism.<\/p>\n
An official said last week Sanaa had begun deporting about 115
\nforeigners, including British and French nationals, who had been
\nattending an Islamic school in the Marib region after being held
\nfor immigration violations.<\/p>\n
Four British Muslim students were deported earlier in
\nFebruary. The student detainees also included nationals of
\nIndonesia, Malaysia, Sudan, Jordan and Egypt.<\/p>\n
Most had entered the country illegally while others had stayed
\nlonger than permitted, officials have said.<\/p>\n
The cabinet has barred educational institutions from admitting
\nforeign students who do not have special permission to study in
\nYemen. The restrictions also cover teachers and Muslim clerics,
\nwho are supervised by the Islamic Affairs Ministry.<\/p>\n
Yemen recently launched a hunt on its territory for suspected
\nbackers of Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda group,
\nblamed by Washington for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
The manhunt coincided with media speculation that Yemen, along
\nwith Somalia and Sudan, could be a target in a second phase of
\nthe U.S. war on terror after the campaign in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Analysts said the impoverished state, still dealing with the
\naftermath of a 2000 suicide attack on a U.S. warship that killed
\n17 U.S. sailors in Aden port, is keen to clean up its image.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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