VZCZCXRO3545
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #8850/01 3470545
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130545Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6087
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUFTNAB/COMUSNAVCENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008850 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PHUM ASEC IZ SY JO
SUBJECT: TRIALS IN JORDAN'S STATE SECURITY COURT - AN UPDATE 
 
REF: A. A. AMMAN 7630 
     ¶B. B. AMMAN 4685 
     ¶C. C. 05 AMMAN 7600 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Jordan's State Security Court (SSC) handed down 
sentences in four terrorism-related cases, and continued 
proceedings against Nabil al-Jaaoura, a Jordanian who 
allegedly killed a British tourist at Amman's Roman 
Amphitheater in early September, and Ziyad Khalaf Karbouli, 
an Iraqi charged with murdering a Jordanian citizen in Iraq 
in September 2005.  The SSC also began proceedings against 
three Hamas militants who allegedly planned attacks in 
Jordan.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Aqaba Attackers Sentenced 
------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The SSC on December 7 sentenced Ali Muhammad Hasan 
al-Sahli (a Syrian) to death, and Abd-al-Rahman Ismai'l 
(Syrian) and Samih al-Nubani (Jordanian) each to two years in 
prison for their roles in August 2005 rocket attacks against 
a U.S. ship and the Israeli border town of Eilat. The Court 
of Cassation will automatically review the sentence of Sahli. 
 If the sentence is upheld, the King must sign a death 
warrant before the execution can take place.  The court also 
sentenced to death in absentia six others involved in the 
attack: Abd-al-Rahman al-Sahli (Syrian), Abdallah al-Sahli 
(Syrian), and Ammar Al-Sammarra'i (Iraqi).  The SSC also 
sentenced in absentia Abd-al-Halim al-Dulaymi (Iraqi), Hamid 
al-Dulaymi (Iraqi), and Husam al-Dulaymi (Iraqi), each to ten 
years' imprisonment (ref B). 
 
HAMAS Weapons Case Brought to Trial 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Prosecutor General of the SSC issued a bill of 
indictment November 4 against three Hamas-affiliated 
defendants accused of weapons smuggling, and plotting to 
attack Israeli targets in Jordan and the home of a Jordanian 
intelligence officer.  The indictment alleges that Ayman 
Hamdallah and Iyad Abd-al-Latif met with Tawfiq Mahdi 
al-Abbushi of Hamas in 2002.  Abbushi offered to grant the 
two membership in the movement, and arranged for their travel 
to Syria where they were to receive training and operational 
instructions.  At a later date, Hamas members requested that 
the two surveil the home of an intelligence officer, and 
asked them to retrieve and store weapons from hidden arms 
caches in Jordan.  According to press reports, Hamdallah met 
a third operative, Ahmad Abu-Rabi, with whom he agreed to 
carry out attacks in Jordan, "in the service of religion." 
If convicted, the two could face the death penalty. 
 
Al-Ta'ifah Al-Mansurah Defendants Convicted 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On October 18, the SSC found eight militants guilty 
of plotting to kill American and Iraqi trainers at the Jordan 
International Police Training Center, among other plots (ref 
B).  The leader of the group, prisoner Ahmed Shabaneh, 
received a 10-year sentence.  Fugitives Ahmad Yassin and 
Haitham al-Gazzaz were sentenced in absentia to ten years. 
One other fugitive and the remaining defendants were given 
sentences between two and seven and a half years.  Press 
reports that Shabaneh formed the group al-Ta'ifah al-Mansurah 
(Victorious Sect) in 2003, following the U.S.-led war on 
Iraq, with the aim "to strike at Americans and Jews and carry 
out military operations against them inside Jordan." 
 
Five Convicted for Attempted Attacks in Israel 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (SBU) On November 22, the SSC sentenced Khaled Mohammad 
and Firas Rifai to ten years' imprisonment for possession of 
automatic weapons and planning to use them in attacks in 
Israel (ref B).  Three other defendants (two under the age of 
eighteen at the time of their arrest) were each sentenced to 
one year in jail for carrying out acts that undermine 
Jordan's relations with a foreign country. 
 
Amphitheater Attacker Asks for Harshest Punishment 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Proceedings continue in the case of Nabil Ahmed 
Issa al-Jaaourah, accused of shooting tourists visiting 
Amman's Roman amphitheater in September (ref A).  During his 
hearing, Jaaourah ranted against the United Kingdom, saying 
that "God blessed me when I killed a British man and hurt 
others because they have been fighting the Prophet and his 
 
AMMAN 00008850  002 OF 002 
 
 
soldiers since the Balfour Declaration."  Jaaourah has 
confessed to his crimes, and has asked the court to impose on 
him "the harshest punishment." 
 
Karbouli Claims Torture, Judges Add Slander to Charges 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Former Iraqi customs employee Ziad Khalaf Raja 
al-Karbouli proclaimed during his trial "We in al-Qaida will 
continue our holy war and our reward will be the dear virgins 
of heaven."  He stands accused of killing a Jordanian driver 
and attacking other Jordanians in Iraq (ref A).  After his 
arrest, the GoJ aired his taped confession on national 
television, but Karbouli claims it was extracted under 
torture.  For his derisive comments in court against King 
Abdullah, the panel of judges hearing his case recommended 
the prosecutor add lese majeste to Karbouli's charge sheet. 
The court is trying thirteen others in this case in absentia. 
 
 
Three convicted for support of Hizb al-Tahrir 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) On December 6 the SSC sentenced three men to prison 
terms for distributing illegal pamphlets and CDs prepared by 
the outlawed Hizb Al-Tahrir.  Mohammad Noor and Mohammad 
Rashad each received one-year sentences, while Mohammad Kheir 
was sentenced to six months -- a fourth defendant, Ihab 
Najati was acquitted.  Hizb al-Tahrir advocates the overthrow 
of the Hashemite monarchy (ref C). 
 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
HALE