Middle East News
Yemeni court reduces jail sentence for US embassy attacker
By DPA
May 12, 2008, 7:51 GMT

Sana'a, Yemen - A Yemeni state security court of appeals on Monday reduced from five to three years the jail sentence against a man condemned of shooting at the US embassy in Sana'a in 2006.

The court's chief judge, Muhammad al-Hakimi, did not provide reasons for reducing the sentence against Saleh Mohammad Salim al- Ammari, 26.

Al-Ammari has confessed to the attack that took place late on December 5, 2006, prosecutors told the court during trial.

The judge also ordered the confiscation of an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle that al-Ammari used in the attack which resulted in no casualties.

Policemen guarding the embassy's compound shot and wounded the man shortly after he opened fire at the gate of the heavily guarded compound, that also houses the residence of the US ambassador.

Security officials said the man was acting on his own and that he was not linked to any group.

The assailant stepped out of a taxi minibus and jumped over concrete blocks in front of the gate holding his rifle.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, was also the scene of a suicide attack on the US destroyer USS Cole in 2000.

Al-Qaeda praised that attack, but did not directly claim responsibility.

A similar attack targeted the French supertanker Limburg in 2002.

After the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, Yemen allied itself with the US-led 'war on terror' and pursued suspected members of al-Qaeda and put scores of them on trial.