VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAMA #0222 0181439
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181439Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS AMMAN 000222 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PHUM ASEC IZ SY JO
SUBJECT: TERRORISM TRIALS UPDATE 
 
REF: A. 06 AMMAN 8850 
     ¶B. 05 AMMAN 7600 
     ¶C. TD 314/81273-06 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: JORDAN'S STATE SECURITY COURT (SSC) SENTENCED 
ROMAN AMPHITHEATER SHOOTER NABIL JAAOURA TO DEATH AND HANDED 
DOWN PRISON SENTENCES IN TWO OTHER TERRORISM-RELATED CASES. 
THE COURT CONTINUED PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THREE HAMAS MILITANTS 
WHO PLANNED ATTACKS IN JORDAN, AND ZIYAD KARBOULI, AN IRAQI 
CHARGED WITH MURDERING A JORDANIAN CITIZEN IN IRAQ. 
MEANWHILE, PROSECUTORS INDICTED TWO MEN FOR PLOTTING TO 
ATTACK A U.S. CITIZEN AND THREE OTHERS FOR RECRUITING 
FIGHTERS TO JOIN THE IRAQI INSURGENCY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
AMPHITHEATER ATTACKER SENTENCED TO DEATH 
 
¶2. THE SSC ON DECEMBER 21, 2006 SENTENCED NABIL AHMAD ISSA 
JAAOURA TO DEATH FOR KILLING A BRITISH TOURIST AND INJURING 
SIX OTHERS AT AMMAN'S ROMAN AMPHITHEATER IN SEPTEMBER 2006. 
JAAOURA PLED NOT GUILTY AT HIS ARRAIGNMENT, BUT THEN RANTED 
AGAINST THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE BALFOUR DECLARATION AND 
CHALLENGED THE COURT TO IMPOSE ITS HARSHEST SENTENCE DURING A 
LATER HEARING (REF A).  AFTER THE VERDICT WAS ANNOUNCED, HE 
SHOUTED, "I AM A WARRIOR FIGHTING FOR GOD AND I THANK GOD FOR 
THE VERDICT."  THE COURT OF CASSATION WILL REVIEW THE 
SENTENCE.  IF THE SENTENCE IS UPHELD, THE KING MUST SIGN A 
DEATH WARRANT BEFORE THE EXECUTION CAN TAKE PLACE. JAAOURA,S 
LAWYER TOLD REPORTERS THAT HE PLANS TO APPEAL THE SENTENCE. 
 
HIZB AL-TAHRIR SUPPORTER RECEIVES ONE-YEAR SENTENCE 
 
¶3. ON DECEMBER 18, 2006 THE SSC SENTENCED 74 YEAR-OLD MAHMOUD 
SAID TO ONE YEAR IN PRISON FOR BELONGING TO THE OUTLAWED 
ISLAMIST GROUP HIZB AL-TAHRIR.  MAHMOUD SAID FIRST RECEIVED A 
THREE-YEAR PRISON TERM, BUT HIS SENTENCE WAS REDUCED BECAUSE 
OF HIS AGE.  ACCORDING TO PRESS, SAID WAS ARRESTED IN AUGUST 
WHILE DISTRIBUTING PAMPHLETS FOR HIZB AL-TAHRIR IN IRBID. 
HIZB AL-TAHRIR CALLS FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE CALIPHATE AND 
THUS FOR THE END OF THE HASHEMITE MONARCHY (REFS A, B). 
 
THREE MEN SENTENCED FOR SEEKING TO JOIN IRAQI INSURGENCY 
 
¶4. ON DECEMBER 13, 2006 THE SSC HANDED DOWN SENTENCES FOR 
THREE MEN WHO ATTEMPTED TO JOIN THE IRAQI INSURGENCY. 
MAHMOUD ABDUL AAL AND YOUSEF SHAFEI RECEIVED THREE-YEAR 
PRISON SENTENCES, WHILE KHALIL ENNABI WAS SENTENCED TO ONE 
YEAR.  THE MEN WERE ARRESTED IN THE SPRING OF 2006 AFTER 
RETURNING FROM SYRIA - FROM WHERE THEY HAD HOPED TO TRAVEL TO 
IRAQ TO JOIN INSURGENTS FIGHTING IRAQI AND U.S. FORCES. 
 
HAMAS-LINKED SUSPECTS RETRACT CONFESSIONS, PLEAD NOT GUILTY 
 
¶5. ON JANUARY 17, THREE JORDANIANS ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TERROR 
ATTACKS IN JORDAN ON BEHALF OF HAMAS RETRACTED THEIR 
CONFESSIONS AND ASKED TO PRESENT NEW STATEMENTS.  ALLEGED 
RINGLEADER AYMAN NAJI HAMADALLAH AHMAD ABU RABIEH, AND AHMAD 
ABU DIAB, WHO WERE ARRESTED IN APRIL AND MAY 2006, FACE THE 
DEATH PENALTY ON CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY TO CARRY OUT TERRORIST 
ATTACKS AND POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES AND WEAPONS (REF A). 
THE THREE MEN, WHO PLED GUILTY ON DECEMBER 13, 2006, APPEARED 
ON NATIONAL TELEVISION IN MAY 2006 AND CONFESSED TO PLOTTING 
TO KILL INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS. 
 
KARBOULI CASE CONTINUES 
 
¶6. ON JANUARY 17 ADEL TARAWNEH, AN ATTORNEY FOR FORMER IRAQI 
CUSTOMS EMPLOYEE ZIAD KHALAF RAJA AL-KARBOULI, CLAIMED TO 
HAVE A LETTER THAT PROVED KARBOULI WAS IN POLICE CUSTODY IN 
LATE SEPTEMBER 2005 AND THEREFORE COULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE 
FOR THE MURDER OF KHALED DASOUQI - A JORDANIAN TRUCK DRIVER 
KILLED IN IRAQ IN SEPTEMBER 2005.  AFTER KARBOULI'S ARREST, 
THE GOJ AIRED HIS TAPED CONFESSION ON NATIONAL TELEVISION - 
KARBOULI CLAIMS HIS CONFESSION WAS EXTRACTED THROUGH TORTURE. 
 TARAWNEH TOLD THE COURT HE WOULD SOON OBTAIN AND SUBMIT AN 
OFFICIAL COPY OF THE LETTER AS EVIDENCE OF HIS CLIENT'S 
INNOCENCE. 
 
TWO MEN PLEAD NOT GUILTY FOR PLOTTING TO ATTACK AMERICANS 
 
¶7. ON JANUARY 17, MOHAMMAD HUSSEIN SHEHADEH AND MOHAMMAD 
SAMIH HOTARI PLED NOT GUILTY TO TERRORISM CHARGES THAT 
INCLUDED ALLEGATIONS OF INVOLVEMENT IN A PLOT TO KILL U.S. 
CITIZENS AND POSSESSION OF UNLICENSED AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. 
ACCORDING TO THE CHARGE SHEET, SHEHADEH AND HOTARI PLANNED TO 
ATTACK AMERICANS TO RETALIATE AGAINST U.S. POLICIES TOWARD 
MUSLIMS.  THE TWO WERE ARRESTED AFTER THEY PICKED AN 
UNIDENTIFIED MAN TO ATTACK (REF C). 
 
THREE MEN INDICTED FOR RECRUITING 
 
¶8. ON JANUARY 8 PROSECUTORS INDICTED THREE MEN FOR RECRUITING 
FIGHTERS TO JOIN THE IRAQI INSURGENCY.  HAMZEH NAWISHEH (WHO 
WAS ARRESTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2006), AND  MOHAMMAD HAJJAJ AND 
ABDULLAH FASFOUS (BOTH INDICTED IN ABSENTIA), WERE CHARGED 
WITH PLOTTING ACTS THAT UNDERMINE JORDAN'S RELATIONS WITH 
ANOTHER COUNTRY AND SUBJECTING THE KINGDOM TO HOSTILE ACTS. 
 
VISIT AMMAN'S CLASSIFIED WEB SITE AT 
HTTP://WWW.STATE.SGOV.GOV/P/NEA/AMMAN/ 
HALE