US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6683

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PHUM, ASEC, JO 
SUBJECT: FOLEY ASSASSINATION DEFENDANTS, ABU SAYYAF CLAIM 
TORTURE DURING SEPARATE TRIALS; HIJAZI RE-APPEARS IN COURT 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 05907 
     B. AMMAN 05333 
     C. AMMAN 06232 
     D. AMMAN 06347 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (U)  Jordan's state security court heard three separate 
cases involving suspects involved in anti-U.S. activity on 
October 13-15.  On October 15, five men accused in the 
assassination of USAID official Laurence Foley appeared in 
court to proclaim their innocence, claiming that Jordanian 
security officials had tortured them to elicit their 
confessions.  The Foley trial adjourned until October 19.  On 
October 14, local Islamic extremist Mohammad al-Shalabi (aka 
Abu Sayyaf), appeared in court for the first time, claiming 
he had been tortured and denied a lawyer during his 
interrogation for his role in a plot against U.S. and other 
targets in Jordan as well as riots that occurred in his 
hometown of Ma'an in November 2002.  His trial also will 
resume on October 19 to allow the court time to appoint a 
lawyer.  Meanwhile, on October 13, the court postponed 
indefinitely the case of Jordanian-American Ra'ed Hijazi, who 
is being retried for his role in the December 1999 plot to 
conduct attacks during the millennial celebrations in Jordan. 
 End Summary. 
 
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ACCUSED FOLEY ASSASSINS PROCLAIM INNOCENCE, CLAIM TORTURE 
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2.  (U)  Five defendants accused in the assassination of 
USAID official Laurence Foley in October 2002 appeared before 
the state security court on October 15, proclaiming their 
innocence and charging that Jordanian security officers had 
elicited their confession to the crime using torture.  Libyan 
national Salem Bin Suwayyid, the alleged mastermind and 
triggerman in the attack, stated in court that charges were 
brought against him to "please the Americans." 
 
3.  (U)  Bin Suwayyid told reporters: "I'm not guilty.  I was 
ready to sign any confession to rid myself of the worst kind 
of torture and duress."  He said his interrogators made him 
sign a confession that "I was neither allowed to read or 
check" and that he re-enacted the crime according to a 
"scenario" prepared by the military prosecutor.  Yasser 
Freihat, who allegedly drove the getaway car, told the court 
that interrogators told him if he did not sign the 
confession, he "would go back to the cell for more torture 
and beating." 
 
4. (U)  Judge Fawaz Bqour agreed to a request from the 
defendants' attorneys to allow them more time to prepare 
their defense.  The trial will resume on October 19. 
 
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ABU SAYYAF APPEARS IN COURT FOR THE FIRST TIME 
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5. (U)  Local Islamic extremist Mohammad al-Shalabi (aka Abu 
Sayyaf), standing trial for his involvement in a plot to 
attack U.S. and other targets in Jordan, claimed during his 
first court appearance on October 14 that his interrogators 
tortured him and denied him access to an attorney.  Abu 
Sayyaf also is accused of instigating riots in his southern 
Jordanian hometown of Ma'an in November 2002.  The court 
decided to adjourn the session until October 19 in order to 
appoint a lawyer for Abu Sayyaf. 
 
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HIJAZI'S TRIAL POSTPONED INDEFINITELY 
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6.  (U)  The state security court on October 13 postponed the 
case of Ra'ed Hijazi, a Jordanian-American whom the court is 
retrying for plotting terrorist acts in December 1999 during 
the millennial celebrations in Jordan.  In January 2003, the 
court confirmed a September 2000 ruling that found Hijazi and 
six other men guilty and sentenced them to death.  However, 
in June 2003, the Court of Cassation overturned the verdict 
because it said the "State Security Court violated court 
procedures." 
 
7.  (U)  According to Hijazi's lawyer, the violations were 
related to insufficient evidence on the conviction of 
possessing and manufacturing explosive material.  Judge Bqour 
announced that he had decided to postpone the case 
indefinitely to consider the higher court's concerns and 
issue a final verdict in the matter. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET 
home page. 
GNEHM