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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| 10 Jordanians on trial over plots against military |
| 2010-01-25 |
| AMMAN - Ten alleged Islamist extremists accused of plotting to carry out attacks against Jordan's army and intelligence service last year pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial on Sunday. “The 10 men, who embrace the takfirism ideology, pleaded not guilty today at the (military) state security court to charges of plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in the kingdom in 2009,' a court official told AFP. “They were arrested last year after allegedly attempting to attack army posts in Jafr and Azraq, east of the kingdom, as well as intelligence officers in Zarqa,' near Amman, he said. Takfirism, which is outlawed in Jordan, encompasses the belief that non-practising Muslims, labelled “infidels', are a danger and should be be eliminated. The Jordanian suspects, who face the death penalty if convicted, “also plotted to attack liquor stores in Amman, Rusaifeh and Zarqa as part of their jihad (holy war) in Jordan,' the official added. “They wanted to kidnap the sons of intelligence officers to press the authorities to release some prisoners, including Sajida al-Rishawi,' he said. Iraqi would-be female suicide bomber Rishawi was sentenced to death in 2006 over her role in triple hotel attacks in Amman in 2005 that killed at least 60 people. She is still on death row. The trial of the 10 was adjourned until February 9. |
| Posted by:Steve White |