Posted on 08/23/2005 11:33:46 AM PDT by Crackingham
Jordanian authorities announced Monday that they had arrested a "prime suspect" in the rocket attack on two US warships in the Jordanian port of Aqaba, reports The New York Times.
Friday's attack missed the two US vessels moored in Aqaba for training exercises, but killed one Jordanian soldier and severely wounded another. It was the most serious attempt to harm Western interests in Jordan since US diplomat Lawrence Foley was murdered in the capital of Amman in 2002.
Hours after Jordan announced the suspect's arrest, Al Qaeda in Iraq – headed by now-infamous Jordanian militant, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – claimed responsibility for the attack by posting a statement on the Internet.
"Your brothers in the Al Qaeda Organization in Iraq have been planning the Aqaba raid for a while," said the statement. "The rockets were fired at their targets -- a group of ships belonging to the crusader American forces ...."
"We would like to tell you that we delayed claiming this attack so that our brothers could complete their withdrawal ... and they returned safely to their base."
Zarqawi's group has vowed to punish Jordan's rulers for "aiding the treacherous enemy America."
Jordan identified the suspect as Mohammad Abdullah Hassan al-Sihly, a Syrian citizen who lived in Amman, reports CNN.
The government statement said al-Sihly entered Jordan in December 2004 after being wounded in Iraq....
His sons, Abdullah and Abdulrahman, and Mohammed Hameed Hassan al-Iraqi – also known as Abu Mukhtar – entered Jordan in early August, smuggling seven Katyusha rockets into the country.
Three were fired in Friday's attack on the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and the amphibious transport USS Ashland, authorities said.
The group rented a warehouse in an industrial district of Aqaba, Jordan's Red Sea port, and set a timer to launch the rockets Friday morning. Al-Sihly's sons and Abu Mukhtar returned to Iraq after setting the rockets to fire, Jordan's government said.
The group was in "direct contact" with leaders in Iraq, who were kept informed on their progress, the government said.
Let's face it, 70% of the Middle East is an Al Qaeda front.
with israel surrendering property, its now 71%
Recall the 'Black September' of 1970 when Arafat's thugs attempting a very violent overthrow of the Jordanian government. Arafat's PLO lost and fled to Lebanon triggering the bloody Lebanese civil war, the long term effects of which are still felt today.
Does it mean Zarquawi is giving up on Iraq?
These guys fired missiles and ran, are the enemy running out of those willing to martyr themselves for the cause?
Katyushas, don't they have a weapon that is a little more accurate?
They are taking credit for an attack any self-respecting jihadi would be ashamed to be associated with.....the harvest?....one Jordanian, zero infidels.
If our enemy is "taking credit" for this one, then they have definitely lowered ther sights, IMHO.
With a name like al-silly you have to wonder if he's going to say "I joke I joke I kid I kid."
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