“President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen announced there on Sunday [February 17, 2001] that two Yemenis being sought in connection with the bombing of the American destroyer Cole in October [2000] had been arrested. Though President Saleh said Yemen could not link the men, Muhammad Ahmed al-Ahdal and Ahmed Muhammad Amin, to Mr. bin Laden, American officials say there is considerable evidence that a key Al Qaeda agent helped plan the attack, in which 17 American sailors were killed.”
– Judith Miller and Sarah Lyall, “Hunting bin Laden’s Allies, U.S. Extends Net to Europe,” The New York Times, Feb. 21, 2001