JORDAN SET TO INDICT ANOTHER GROUP OF TERRORIST

S E C R E T AMMAN 000162 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2015 TAGS: PTER ASEC JO SUBJECT: JORDAN SET TO INDICT ANOTHER GROUP OF TERRORIST PLOTTERS REF: A. TD-314/57164-04 ¶B. TD-314/56770-04 Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S/NF) Press reports indicate that the GOJ is preparing to indict several Jordanian extremists who were arrested last year for planning terrorist attacks against U.S. and other foreign targets in Jordan. At least four are in custody, and several others remain at large. Jordanian security services first informed us in October 2004 that they had arrested several individuals involved in planning attacks against a U.S. military band that was performing at the Jerash cultural festival in July, "foreign" (NFI) archeologists working in northern Jordan, and a hotel in the northern city of Irbid that they believed hosted Israeli tourists. The plotters also threatened a GID official in Irbid for "targeting Muslims" and an Amman-based sheikh they believed had condemned the Zarqawi-linked Jayusi cell that targeted the U.S. Embassy, GID headquarters, and Prime Ministry in April 2004 (refs). ¶2. (S/NF) According to the press reports, the plotters are linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, but the precise nature of Zarqawi's alleged support is unclear. As noted in refs, some of the plotters had communication and sympathized with members of the Jayusi cell. Press reports suggest this plot's mastermind, 'Abd Shihada Hamid al-Tahawi, who is currently in custody, is a follower of Zarqawi. ¶3. (S/NF) Comment: As often happens with terrorism-related cases in Jordan, press reports of the arrests were several months behind the arrests themselves and not all the details were accurate. The news of the latest plot hit the media only when judicial sources began leaking information this week about the impending indictment, but the GOJ had shared the information with the USG in October after the initial arrests were made. Adding to the confusion, the latest revelations come amidst extensive reporting on at least three other terrorism cases currently working their way through the Security Court, reported septel. ¶4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through the Department of State's SIPRNET home page. HALE