US embassy cable - 04AMMAN2645

UNCLAS AMMAN 002645 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, PTER, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN COURT SENTENCES 8 TO DEATH FOR FOLEY 
ASSASSINATION 
 
REF: AMMAN 2633 
 
1.  (U)  The Jordanian State Security Court on April 6 
sentenced eight men to death for killing USAID official 
Laurence Foley in front of his Amman home on October 28, 
2002.  All six suspects tried in absentia, including 
Jordanian national and al-Qa'ida affiliate Abu Musab 
al-Zarqawi, received the death sentence, as did two of the 
five in custody: Libyan national and triggerman Salem Bin 
Sweid, and driver of the getaway car, Jordanian Yasser 
Freihat. 
 
2.  (U)  Judge Fawaz Bqour also sentenced two Jordanian men 
to jail terms for their involvement in the conspiracy.  The 
judge sentenced Mohammed Amin Abu Saeed and Mohammed De'mes 
to 15 years hard labor, but immediately reduced De'mes's 
sentence to six years.  The court acquitted the eleventh 
suspect, Jordanian Numan al-Hirsh, based a the lack of 
evidence. 
 
3.  (U)  In addition to Zarqawi, the other five sentenced to 
death in absentia include: Palestinian Shaker Yusef al-Absi, 
Jordanian Muamar Ahmad al-Jaghbeer, and Syrian nationals 
Mohammad Ahmad Tayourah, Ahmad Hussein Hassoun, and Mahmoud 
Abdul Rahman Thaher. 
 
4.  (U)  According to a journalist present during the 
sentencing, the five defendants in custody shouted "Allahu 
Akbar" and "this verdict is unfair" as Judge Bqour read their 
sentence in the small and heavily guarded Amman courtroom. 
The five had pleaded innocent, charging that Jordanian 
investigators had extracted their initial confessions using 
torture. 
 
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COMMENT 
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5.  (U)  The death sentences will be automatically appealed 
to the Court of Cassation.  Following a trend set by a number 
of recent terrorism cases, we expect the two who got lighter 
sentences also to appeal.  Post has issued a statement 
acknowledging the verdict and commending Jordanian officials 
for their assistance in bringing Foley's assassins to 
justice.  RSO and Jordanian Public Security Directorate are 
in contact on any possible security ramifications of this 
decision. 
 
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