JIPTC PLOTTERS PUBLICLY ARRAIGNED

UNCLAS AMMAN 009392

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PREL JO
SUBJECT: JIPTC PLOTTERS PUBLICLY ARRAIGNED

REF: A. TD-314/52765-05

B. AMMAN 7438


1. (U) Jordanian dailies carried front-page reports December
1 on the arraignments in the state security court of four men
charged with plotting to attack U.S. personnel in Jordan.
According to the indictments, the four men, Ma'adh Breizat
(19),Ibrahim al-Jahawsheh (28),Faisal al-Rweidhan (28),and
Ibadah al-Hiyari (24),had trained with automatic rifles and
had followed U.S. instructors who work at the Jordanian
International Police Training Center (JIPTC) to a house near
the U.S. EMBASSY in Amman in August. The four had also
allegedly inspected a potential ambush site on the road used
by U.S. and other trainers driving to and from JIPTC.
Ringleader Ma'adh Breizat is additionally charged with
possessing unlicensed firearms. No trial date has been set.


2. (SBU) Jordanian security services arrested the indicted
men in August as reported ref A. In line with past practice,
the GOJ did not publicly acknowledge the plot until the case
reached the State Security Court, where it becomes a matter
of public record.


3. (U) This is the second plot directed at JIPTC employees
this year. In early September, the State Security Court
charged 17 suspects with plotting to assassinate Americans
working at JIPTC with a silencer-equipped sniper rifle (Ref
B).
HALE