Jordan Times
Monday, May 15, 2006
Five on trial for plots
against Israel
AMMAN (AFP) — Five Jordanians appeared before the State Security Court on Sunday
charged with plotting to infiltrate Israel to carry out attacks.
The court adjourned minutes after the trial opened because three of the suspects
had no defence lawyers, judicial sources said.
The suspects, including an 18-year-old, are accused of “illegal possession of
automatic weapons to carry out illicit acts” for which they could face the death
penalty, a judicial source said.
According to the charge sheet, the five are also accused of carrying out action
aimed at undermining Jordan’s relations with a foreign country — namely Israel —
and the bid to infiltrate the Jewish state from Jordan.
The five were arrested in January, said the charge sheet, a copy of which was
obtained by AFP.
The court papers indicated that alleged ringleader Khaled Mohammad, 29,
recruited the others and plotted “to infiltrate Israel to carry out a military
operation against Jews” after failing to join the insurgency in Iraq.
Mohammad allegedly sold his wife’s jewellery to buy three Kalashnikov assault
rifles, which he used to train his accomplices.