Jordan Times
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
Court sentences 8 to death for
plotting to kill Foley
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — The State Security Court on Tuesday sentenced eight men to death,
including six who were tried in absentia, on conviction of plotting the murder
of USAID officer Laurence Foley outside his Amman home in October 2002. The
court handed down prison sentences against two other defendants in the case and
acquitted a third.
The two prime suspects in the case, Salem Ben Suwayyed, a Libyan national, and
Yasser Freihat, a Jordanian, were convicted of terrorism in connection with the
murder of Foley. They were also found guilty of possession of an unlicensed
automatic weapon.
The six other defendants, sentenced to death in absentia by the tribunal on the
same charges, include fugitive Ahmad Fadel Khalayleh, better known as Abu Mussab
Zarqawi.
Two other defendants in the case, Mohammad Amin and Mohammad Demes, received 6
and 15 years in prison as accessories to the crime.
One other defendant, Numan Hirsh, was acquitted for “lack of evidence.”
The court said the defendants conspired to carry out attacks against US and
Israeli targets in Jordan, and planned to attack a military airport in Amman.
They also targeted General Intelligence Department officers, the prosecution
said.
State Prosecutor Mahmoud Obeidat asked the tribunal for the maximum penalty,
saying the defendants' action was a “heinous crime that targeted Jordan's
security and stability and caused a negative impact on the country's economy and
security.”
Defence attorney Mustafa Freihat was critical of the verdict, claiming his
clients “were subjected to torture and duress.”
“We have contested the legality of the interrogation procedures in the past and
still insist on this point today,” Freihat told reporters.
Another defence lawyer, Samih Khreis, told reporters following the 30-minute
trial that he considered the verdict “harsh.”
Foley, 60, was gunned down outside his Amman home on Oct. 28, 2002 as he
prepared to go to work.
According to the prosecution charge sheet, Ben Suwayyed came to Jordan in 1999,
using a forged Tunisian passport bearing the name “Ali Lafi.”
The prosecution also referred to Zarqawi, a reputed top Al Qaeda figure, who is
wanted in Jordan in a separate case. The prosecution said Zarqawi managed to
enter the Kingdom before the incident and recruited 11 people to launch
terrorist operations in Jordan.
The prosecution said Zarqawi gave his accomplices $60,000 and provided them with
machineguns, silencers, tear gas pipes, gloves and a vehicle to conduct
terrorist operations.
Tuesday's verdicts will automatically be reviewed by the Court of Cassation
within 30 days.
In a written statement to the press, the US embassy in Amman praised the efforts
of the Jordanian authorities.
“We appreciate the diligence of the Jordanian investigators, judicial officials,
police and other security personnel involved in bringing those responsible for
Larry's murder to justice,” the embassy said in a statement.
The statement said: “As Ambassador Edward Gnehm noted at the time of the
tragedy, the government of Jordan pledged its total commitment to the
apprehension and trial of those responsible for this heinous act and protection
of American citizens in Jordan.”
The embassy said: “Larry Foley was a dedicated public servant and a wonderful
colleague who gave his life to the service of others in a career at the USAID
and the Peace Corps.” We remain resolved to continue his work to improve the
lives of ordinary Jordanians and to bring the people of our two nations closer
together,” the statement added.