Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Anti-terrorism law will not
affect civil liberties — Muasher
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh
AMMAN — A new anti-terrorism law, being drafted
by the government to prevent further attacks against the country, will take into
consideration protecting public freedom and liberties, a senior official said
Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher told reporters that the proposed bill would
not override or disregard people's rights or freedoms because it is aimed
against “those groups that target citizens' safety and security and not people's
right to free expression.”
“We are not a police state and we won't be turned into one. The new law is being
examined carefully and it will take into consideration similar anti-terrorism
bills in other countries,” Muasher said.
However, he added that “we will no longer tolerate an opinion that condones or
supports the killing of innocent civilians under any pretext.”
One week following the Nov. 9 bombings of three Amman hotels, which killed 60
people, the government announced plans to issue an anti-terrorism bill as part
of new protective measures. It was not immediately clear how such a bill will
apply checks and balances in order to uphold the rights and freedoms of
Jordanians.
The new bill, to be given urgent status on Parliament's agenda when the
110-member Lower House reconvenes early December, will set harsh penalties for
anyone who condones or supports acts of terror.
According to Interior Ministry officials, the bill will also grant authorities
the power to hold any terror suspect for questioning indefinitely, and to issue
penalties to those who seek to endanger the lives and property of citizens,
whether inside or outside the country.
Jordan is the first Arab country to join the ranks of Western states in issuing
an anti-terrorism bill. Several countries, including the US, Canada, UK and
Australia, have drafted their own anti-terrorism legislation, drawing local and
international criticism over articles deemed as infringing on civil liberties.
The anti-terrorism acts include measures to identify, prosecute, convict and
punish terrorists. They give law enforcement and security agencies in these
countries new investigative tools to gather intelligence and prosecute suspected
terrorists. Most controversially, they allow for suspected terrorists to be held
for long periods without charge.
Human rights activists have described such laws as an attack on civil liberties.
Authorities, however, insist the bill is necessary to combat the threat posed by
terrorism, especially with recent threats made by Iraq's Al Qaeda led by Abu
Mussab Zarqawi.
In an Internet audiotape last Friday, Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq,
warned Jordanians of more attacks against large hotels, military Installations
and embassies of countries involved in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
Al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for blasts against the Grand Hyatt, the
Radisson SAS and Days Inn hotels, and named the attackers as four Iraqis, one of
them a woman. The woman identified as Sajida Mubarak Atrous Al Rishawi and the
wife of the Radisson SAS bomber Ali Hassan Ali Al Shammari, who blew himself up
in the middle of a wedding ceremony, was arrested last Sunday. Her short
confession was aired on Jordan Television the same evening.
Muasher refuted claims that the government was taking stringent measures against
Iraqis in Jordan and that several families have already been deported. He said
if there had been cases of deportation it is because these people did not have a
residency permit or that their visas had expired. “It's a matter of implementing
the law,” he said.
“We do not deal with the case of the bombings based on nationality but rather
action. Terrorism has no nationality, and Iraqi people are not targeted,” he
added.
Four Iraqis, including three men and a woman, whose explosive belt failed to
detonate, carried out the attacks. The four terrorists entered the country via
Jordan's Karameh border post with Iraq on Nov. 5.
Muasher refused to elaborate on the proceedings of investigations.
Security measures have been intensified throughout the Kingdom as part of
government efforts to ensure the safety of citizens and to minimise the
likelihood of further attacks similar to the triple suicide bombings, the first
such attacks on the country. Hotels and main buildings have set up metal
detectors and security cameras and increased security personnel.
Muasher said a number of countries have offered to send equipment and resources
to help in the fight against terrorism and to protect citizens, adding that the
country will take advantage of such offers.
He told reporters that the increased security measures would not cost the
country additional financial burdens, noting that some of the measures fall on
the shoulders of the private sector, especially hotels.
As part of its measures, the government has reactivated security laws which
require that all citizens who rent apartments or offices to non-Jordanians
report specific details about their tenants to the nearest police station within
48 hours. Article 14 of the law states that persons who lease apartments,
offices or rooms to foreigners must report to the authorities the name,
nationality, address and passport numbers of their tenants within 48 hours of
the signing of the lease or face penalties.
Muasher said that intensified security measures should not be a short-term
action. “We need a long-term strategy that would, through the educational system
and the media, eradicate a culture that condones the killing of civilians under
any pretext,” he said.