Jordan Times
Wednesday, May 3, 2006
10 receive jail terms
for plotting attacks against anti-terrorism officers, US forces
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Tuesday
sentenced 10 men to prison terms ranging from two to five years after convicting
them of plotting attacks against Jordanian anti-terrorism officers and US forces
training Iraqi troops in the country.
Some of the defendants, affiliated to Al Qaeda network in Iraq, were also
convicted of plotting and complicity in plotting activities aimed at undermining
Jordan’s relations with another country (Iraq).
The same tribunal acquitted seven other men, including a Syrian, standing trial
on the same charges “for lack of evidence.”
The defendants who were declared innocent hugged each other inside the dock and
three of them knelt and kissed the ground thanking God.
Mutasem Mohammad received a five-year prison term; Ziad Ibrahim, Ali Taleb and
Luai Abu Naameh were sentenced to four years imprisonment; Mohammad Ahmad,
Mamoun Kamal and Ibrahim Anwar to three years; Abdul Karim Ismael, Amar Zakzouk
and Mufeed Zaki, two years.
The court said the convicted defendants conspired to carry out terrorist attacks
against Jordanian anti-terrorism officers and US forces training Iraqi troops in
Jordan.
“They recruited people to fight in Iraq along with Jordanian fugitive Abu Mussab
Zarqawi and other Al Qaeda members and raised funds for this purpose,” the
55-page verdict said.
“Their actions would have affected the diplomatic and political relations
between Jordan and Iraq as well as between Iraq and the United States,” it
added.
“Their actions would put Jordan and Jordanians under the threat of terrorist
attacks,” the court said.
The 17 men were arrested in July 2005 before being able to carry out any of
their plans, the court added.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges during their opening trial in
September.
The defendants shouted out slogans when the tribunal entered the courtroom: “God
is great. We are God’s Mujahidin and God is our Lord and you have none.”
The defence team of the men convicted by the SSC told The Jordan Times it plans
to appeal the verdicts at a higher court.
“We are not satisfied with the verdict and believe that our clients are
innocent. We will definitely appeal the verdict,” Defence Lawyer Hatem Ghueiri
said.