Yemen investigates its honey shops following allegations of ties to bin Laden

By AHMED AL-HAJ
Associated Press Writer

SAN`A, Yemen – Honey merchants in Yemen scoffed Monday at U.S. accusations their businesses were fronts for moving arms and money for terror suspect Osama bin Laden.

Yemen authorities were investigating the country's honey firms after the United States said two honey businesses and a bakery in Yemen were fronts for bin Laden's terror network,

A government official said authorities were checking business licenses to see if owners matched those cited by the United States as having ties to bin Laden, the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

An employee of one of the companies on the U.S. list, the Al-Nur Honey Press Shops, dismissed as "ridiculous" the notion that the business was linked to bin Laden.

"We don't have any suspicious money or funds located abroad. And if they have proof of suspicious funds, let them freeze it. We don't have any ties to bin Laden and don't know him," said Nabil al-Hitad.

In its latest clampdown, the U.S. Treasury Department on Friday moved to freeze the assets of Al-Nur, Al-Hamati sweets bakeries and Al-Shifa Honey Press for Industry and Commerce – among 39 individuals and organizations suspected of conducting or financing terror.

Yemen has in the past cooperated with U.S. requests to freeze assets of companies and people linked to terrorism.

The United States said Al-Nur is owned by Muhammad Hamdi Sadiq al-Ahda and that he was once imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for planning terrorist activities there.

Al-Hitad said Al-Nur is owned by Muhammad al-Hamati, who he said was traveling in Saudi Arabia for business. Al-Hamati's name was on the Al-Nur business license al-Hitad showed The Associated Press. The U.S. Treasury has listed al-Hamati as an alias for al-Ahda.

Yemen honey is considered among the best and most expensive in the world, fetching at least $50 per kilogram, about 2.2 pounds. Al-Nur is a well-known brand; its stores are simple places where different varieties are displayed in variously sized jars. The honey shops also often sell other Yemeni specialties such as perfume, incense and spices.

Because of high demand in Yemen, the nation also imports honey from countries including the United States. Several honey exporters in the United States, who were contacted Monday, said they did not sell honey to the Yemen companies listed by the United States with terrorist ties.

Muhammad Saleh al-Ashmuri, of the Al-Shifa honey business, said he was the owner and doesn't know bin Laden.

"How is it possible that shops such as these belong to millionaire bin Laden and we can't pay the electricity bill and rent for the shops?"

The U.S. Treasury list said Al-Shifa Honey Press for Industry and Commerce was owned by Mahmud Abu al-Fatuh Muhammad, who is linked to the Islamic Cultural Institute in Milan, Italy. The institute, which appears in the U.S. government's court case against bin Laden for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, is considered the main "station house" for bin Laden's network in Europe, used to move weapons, men and money around the world.

Yemen is a poor and often lawless country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

AP-WS-10-15-01 1426EDT