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| Middle East |
| Militants Held in U.S. Envoy Death |
| 2002-10-29 |
| Jordanian officials rounded up dozens of known Islamic extremists for questioning Tuesday in the assassination of American diplomat Laurence Foley as suspicion for the attack fell on al-Qaida or the terrorist movement's sympathizers. A Jordanian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said most of those detained were Jordanians of Palestinian origin who belonged to militant Islamic cells. Some were released but others were held for further questioning; none had been charged. "LeGume! Round up the usual suspects!" One militant, sought in an attack on a police station last year, was apprehended Tuesday after a shootout with police near the southern town of Maan. He later escaped from a hospital but was not a suspect in Foley's assassination. They might want to catch him, whether it was him or not... Jordanian authorities discounted a claim of responsibility by Shurafaa' al-Urdun, or the Honorables of Jordan. In a statement to an Arabic newspaper in London, the group said it killed Foley to protest U.S. support for Israel and the "bloodshed in Iraq and Afghanistan." The group claimed responsibility for the killing last year of Israeli businessman Yitzhak Snir, who was slain near Foley's home. However, Jordanian police believe Snir was killed by common criminals and that Shurafaa' al-Urdun does not exist. If they don't exist, how'd they make a statement? Maybe they should arrest the guy making the statement and beat him... Nevertheless, the fact that Jordanian authorities were questioning Islamic extremists suggested that they were the focus of the investigation. Jordan has consistently denied any al-Qaida cell exists in the kingdom. Yeah. I deny I'm getting fat and that my hair's almost gone, too... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |