U.S., Yemen close to deal on USS Cole probe

From Andrea Koppel
CNN State Department Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States and Yemen are close to signing an agreement on how to proceed with the investigation into the October 12 attack on the USS Cole, two administration sources said Friday.

Work on a "memorandum of understanding" or MOU is "getting down to the t's and i's," said one official Another said, "We're quite pleased with what the MOU will look like."

VIDEO Go to the homecoming (November 3) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) U.S. Navy video shows the USS Cole being lifted out of the water Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     GALLERY Images from the homecoming Images of Cole being loaded onto transport ship Photographs give closeup view of Cole damage     INTERACTIVE Timeline: The attack on the USS Cole     MESSAGE BOARD USS Cole attack     ALSO Happy homecoming for Cole sailors

The officials said the memorandum, which they expect to be completed Sunday, was initiated by the Yemen. A draft of it already has already been sent back and forth a number of times.

In the weeks since the attack on the Cole, U.S. officials have made no secret of their growing frustration over being excluded from interviews with witnesses and potential suspects.

Under the new agreement, Yemeni investigators would still handle the questioning of witnesses and potential suspects. But in a concession to the United States, FBI agents would be allowed to be present during interviews.

FBI agents would also be allowed to pass written "follow-up" questions to Yemeni officials.

Yemeni law forbids the questioning of citizens by agents of a foreign power.

Presently, FBI officials must submit questions to be asked on their behalf and are not allowed to be present on site during interviews. Afterwards, Yemeni officials provided U.S. investigators with transcripts.

The U.S. officials said they are encouraged.

"Everyone is a little more confident we're going get more of what we wanted," said one official.

In the last 48 hours, Yemeni officials have been passing on some written information that "we're receiving for the first time," said the official. "There's a general sense things are going in the right direction."

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