Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Several activities planned to mark anniversary of Amman bombings

By Khalid Neimat and Hana Namroqa

AMMAN — The government on Monday said several activities were planned to mark the anniversary of the Amman bombings, which took place on November 9 last year.

Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh said the anniversary of the terror attacks, which targeted three of the capital’s hotels causing 60 deaths and 115 injuries, would be an opportunity to underline the government’s determination to combat terrorism.

Commenting on the expected Cabinet reshuffle, Judeh told reporters during the weekly press briefing that the government is going through a normal assessment process after one year in office. He added that the reshuffle, which was approved in principle by His Majesty the King, would help implement programmes.

“This change is not about persons but rather a matter of government programmes and policies,” Judeh said, adding that the reshuffle would take place before the end of this month.

Responding to a question on the State Security Court’s decision to drop all charges against former Royal Court chief Adnan Abu Odeh, Judeh said it was an independent judicial procedure, adding that “the government respects and accepts the court’s decisions.”

Abu Odeh was charged on Saturday with slandering the King and inciting sectarianism during an interview with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite television station. Following the interview, several citizens filed complaints against him, but the prosecutor general referred the case to the State Security Court for lack of jurisdiction, which dropped the charges on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Judeh said the possibility of sending the Badr Brigade, a unit of the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA), to the Palestinian territories is under discussion.

“Jordan will back options to ensure unity and stable conditions in Palestine,” he added.

The PLA was set up as the military wing of the PLO in 1964, with units based in neighboring Arab countries.


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