Jordan Times
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Explosives expert
testifies in chemical attack case
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — A security officer testifying in the case
of nine men standing trial for plotting a chemical attack in the Kingdom, on
Monday said the explosives he examined posed a danger to humans and property.
Major Raed Abu Ruman, an explosives expert at the General Intelligence
Department (GID), told the State Security Court (SSC) that he examined chemical
substances, electronic detonators, fuses, electric cords and small light bulbs
given to him by the state prosecution.
“I conducted a practical experiment with some of the substances and concluded
that using these explosives to spread deadly chemical substances is one of the
methods applied by armies,” the prosecution witness said.
“These substances are highly sensitive and pose a grave threat to humans and
property,” Maj. Abu Ruman said.
The prosecution has charged that these substances were found in the possession
of the main defendant in the case, Azmi Jaiousi.
The nine men, part of a group of 13 suspects, including Jordanian fugitive Abu
Mussab Zarqawi, are charged with plotting to carry out the first-ever Al Qaeda
chemical attack in the Kingdom.
Abu Ruman also told the tribunal that he examined Jaiousi's 153-page statement
of confession.
“Based on the details Jaiousi provided to the authorities on how he planned to
mix the chemical substances, I found that he is highly experienced in the
explosives field and has read a lot of scientific and military references on
this topic,” the witness said.
Jaiousi appeared on Jordan Television shortly after his arrest and described how
he and other group members bought and manufactured chemical explosives under the
guidance and support of Zarqawi.
The defendants are accused of possessing and manufacturing explosives with
illicit intent, and possessing an automatic weapon with the intent to using it
illegally.
The group is also charged with belonging to an illegal organisation, Kataeb Al
Tawhid (Battalions of Monotheism), which is believed to be linked to Al Qaeda,
sheltering a wanted person and possessing unlicensed guns.
If convicted, some of the defendants could face the death penalty.
Jaiousi recruited the defendants after meeting Zarqawi in Afghanistan in 1999,
and they plotted to target the General Intelligence Department, the Prime
Ministry and the American embassy in Amman, according to the charge sheet.
The group decided to use cars laden with chemicals and explosives, but the
authorities foiled their plans last year and killed four of their alleged
members in a shootout in an Amman suburb, the charge sheet added.
Presiding Judge Fawaz Bqour adjourned the session to hear more prosecution
witnesses in the case.