YemenWatch: Sunday October 31, 2010

The woman accused of sending the package from Yemen has been released by authorities.  She may have been tortured during her imprisonment.  She is an engineering student and the Yemeni Student Union wants a strike on Monday.  Her father insists she is innocent and has asked a human rights organization called HOOD to defend her (more info on HOOD).

Meanwhile, a bomb maker from Saudi Arabia is believed to be responsible for making the bombs and currently working with AQAP.

The Yemeni government has issued stricter security methods for outgoing packages.  And it turns out that one of the bombs was sent on a passenger plane.

Apparently the US is still trying to figure out what is going on in Yemen and how to help fight AQAP.

Juan Cole has a very long post about the attempted bombing by AQAP. 

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Other news from Yemen:
Ten Somali pirates were sentenced to 5 years in jail, for preying on Yemeni fishing boats.

According to HOOD, last week an Al-Jazeera journalist was arrested, and his cameraman beaten, while covering a trial in Aden.

edit: added Juan Cole link