RIYADH, Feb 10: The escape last week of 23 Al Qaeda suspects, including the suspected mastermind of the 2000 bombing of the destroyer, USS Cole, from a jail in Yemen has become a source of concern for officials in Riyadh because the Saudi government had handed over a number of the fugitives to Yemen.

It has also angered and alarmed offcials in Washington.

According to Frances Townsend, President George Bush’s top counter-terrorism adviser, the United States was coordinating with Saudi Arabia because Riyadh ‘faces as great, if not a greater, threat because of this escape than we do’.

Saudi Arabia has strengthened vigilance on its long, porous border with Yemen to stop the entry of the fugitives.

The US Central Command said on Thursday warships patrolling the waterways off Yemen have joined the hunt for the 23 Al Qaeda suspects.

The flotilla, which is currently under Dutch command but operates under US supervision, ‘is supporting the efforts of the government of Yemen to recapture suspected terrorists who escaped from a Yemeni prison on Feb 5’, a statement said.

“Vessels are monitoring international waters along the coast of Yemen in an attempt to either block possible maritime escape routes or capture the suspected terrorists if they make this attempt.”

Washington has already remonstrated with San’aa over the jailbreak.

“We have spoken with our colleagues in Yemen through our ambassador and expressed this to them and asked them for the strongest and most transparent cooperation so that we can help them.

“I find the developments in Yemen not only deeply disappointing, but of enormous concern to us, especially given the capabilities and expertise of the people who were there,” Mr Townsend told reporters at a news conference.

On its part, the Yemeni government has blamed jail officials for the escape.

An investigation report into the incident accused the security officials of not taking enough measures to prevent the escape of suspects.

“Investigations are over and the security officials accused of negligence will be put on trial soon,” a state-run newspaper quoted an unidentified official as saying.

Investigators also said that people from outside the prison had played a role in the jailbreak. “They also helped in moving and hiding the escapees,” an official said.

RELATIVES ARRESTED: The authorities started taking relatives and friends of the fugitives into custody after the incident.