The accused include "al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, Abu-Musab Al-Zarqawi", and three other fugitives who are being tried in absentia.
The indictment says al-Zarqawi intended that suicide bombers would detonate vehicles filled with the chemicals in an attack on the Amman headquarters of the intelligence department.
See "Jordan: Jaiousi admits meeting with Zarqawi in Baghdad, receiving instructions for attacks" at http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm?id=ZAWYA20050630103112&query=Zarqawi%2E&searchmethod=keywords
"In a videotape confession screened during the trial at the State Security Court (SSC) yesterday, Azmi Jaiousi said he met with Zarqawi and two other men in Iraq. "Zarqawi told me there would be military operations in Jordan soon and we needed to prepare for them... he gave me around $50,000, weapons, explosive devices and instructions to launch attacks. Our first target was State Prosecutor Mahmoud Obeidat," Jaiousi was quoted as saying in the videotape."
A second target was a General Intelligence Department (GID) officer who had blue eyes and a white Mercedes, he added. Jaiousi said he infiltrated into the Kingdom from Iraq in February 2002, hidden in a truck, and later met up with the rest of the defendants."
Azmi al-Jayousi was plotting this terrorist act with al-Qaeda's Zarqawi in Iraq and left Iraq in February 2002. This was pre-Iraq War! We are fighting the War on Terrorism because of "September 11th", wherever it takes us, Iraq or elsewhere.
No WMDs here.....
/sarcasm
This story has gotten so little coverage that when I've mentioned it to people in my neighborhood, all I've gotten is blank looks.
This would have made 9/11 pale in comparison if the plan had been carried to fruition.
bookmark
Quote referred to my reply to Peach is from this article. (link is below)
Jordan Times
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Trial of chemical attack plotters opens
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — The State Security Court on Wednesday adjourned the case of nine men accused of plotting the first-ever Al Qaeda chemical attack in Jordan until Dec. 22, because the defendants refused to respond to the tribunal's questions “until their prison conditions were improved.”
“We do not want to respond to any of your questions until our families are allowed to visit us and we are moved from isolated cells,” the main suspect in the case, Azmi Jaiousi, told the tribunal.
Presiding Judge Fawaz Bqour told Jaiousi the court finds “no problem in allowing your families to visit you.”
“We will look into this matter and we will allow your families to visit you in the prison,” Judge Bqour said.
Six of the nine defendants refused to respond to Judge Bqour's question of whether or not they had appointed lawyers to represent them in the case as stipulated in the law.
Attorney Younes Arab informed the tribunal that he would represent Jamal Mohammad, while attorney Jihad Qatawneh said he would defend Mohammad Salmeh. Defendant Husni Sharif said he had appointed a lawyer who would represent him in the next court session. The tribunal decided to adjourn the case until next Wednesday to allow the defendants the opportunity to appoint attorneys to represent them.
If they do not appoint lawyers by that time, the court will assign lawyers to represent them in the case.
The defendants were brought into the courtroom under strict security measures with a helicopter escorting the prison vehicles that transported the defendants from the prison to the courtroom in Marka.
The nine men are part of a group of 13 people who are charged with plotting to carry out terrorist attacks, possessing and manufacturing explosives with illicit intent, possessing an automatic weapon with the intent of using it illegally and possessing unlicensed guns.
Four are being tried in absentia, including fugitive Abu Musab Zarqawi.
Other charges include sheltering a wanted person and belonging to an illegal organisation, Kataeb Al Tawhid (Battalions of Monotheism), which is believed to be linked to Al Qaeda network.
If convicted of the charges, some of the defendants could receive the death penalty.
The prosecution charge sheet said in 1999 Jaiousi left the Kingdom and went to Afghanistan where he received training on how to manufacture explosives. While he was in Afghanistan, he met Zarqawi.
According to the charge sheet, Jaiousi returned to Jordan and recruited some of the defendants to “terrify people by using cars laden with explosives as a means to accomplish their goals.”
The group decided to launch a rocket attack on the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat from Aqaba Port but changed their plans and decided to strike the premises of the General Intelligence Department, according to the charge sheet. The sheet added that Jaiousi asked Zarqawi to “send him money, 10 martyrs, weapons and rockets to accomplish the mission.”
Jaiousi used the money to buy vehicles, 950 gallons of oxygen and other chemical substances that the group planned to use in the attack.
The group's plans were aborted by security forces in April and May of 2004.
Four others, believed to be part of the group, were killed by security forces in a shootout in an Amman neighburhood.
http://www.jordanembassyus.org/12162004001.htm