Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN5907
2003-09-14 14:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

PROSECUTION WITNESSES TESTIFY IN FOLEY TRIAL

Tags:  PTER ASEC PREL JO 
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UNCLAS AMMAN 005907 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC PREL JO
SUBJECT: PROSECUTION WITNESSES TESTIFY IN FOLEY TRIAL

UNCLAS AMMAN 005907

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC PREL JO
SUBJECT: PROSECUTION WITNESSES TESTIFY IN FOLEY TRIAL


1. (U) The state security court trial of five suspects in the
October 2002 assassination of USAID official Laurence Foley
resumed on September 2 and 9 with the appearance of several
more witnesses for the prosecution. The first round of
prosecution witnesses appeared before the court on September
2, during which First Lt. Muthana Katan testified that he
found files about bombmaking and poisons on the computer of
alleged Libyan mastermind Salem Bin Suweid. "I inspected a
computer and some diskettes and CDs belonging to defendant
Salem Bin Suweid. I found material on how to manufacture
explosives and poisonous substances." He also testified that
he found material on how to resist law enforcement officials,
some maps, and electronic books by Muslim scholars.


2. (U) On September 9, Investigator Lt. Col. Abdul Nasser
al-Dabbas described the crime scene, while Lt. Col. Naji
al-Azam told the court that police confiscated from the
defendants an aerosol crowd-dispersal device (probably tear
gas or pepper spray) that is used by riot police. Dr. Moumen
al-Hadidi, who performed the autopsy, reported that the
assailants' bullets struck Mr. Foley eight times, according
to press reports.


3. (U) Bin Suweid and his four accomplices have all pleaded
innocent to the charges, which include conspiring to commit
terrorist acts and illegal possession of automatic weapons.
The prosecution claims that the group began targeting
American and Jewish interests as well as Jordanian security
forces in 1997. Six others remain at large. All 11 suspects
face the death penalty if convicted. While the indictment
does not specifically mention al-Qa'ida, it does say some of
the accused had links with Jordanian militant Abu Mus'ab
al-Zarqawi, who is believed to be a senior figure in the
organization. The trial is adjourned until September 16.
HALE