US embassy cable - 05AMMAN162

S E C R E T AMMAN 000162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2015 
TAGS: PTER, ASEC, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN SET TO INDICT ANOTHER GROUP OF TERRORIST 
PLOTTERS 
 
REF: A. TD-314/57164-04 
 
     B. TD-314/56770-04 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (S/NF)  Press reports indicate that the GOJ is preparing 
to indict several Jordanian extremists who were arrested last 
year for planning terrorist attacks against U.S. and other 
foreign targets in Jordan.  At least four are in custody, and 
several others remain at large.  Jordanian security services 
first informed us in October 2004 that they had arrested 
several individuals involved in planning attacks against a 
U.S. military band that was performing at the Jerash cultural 
festival in July, "foreign" (NFI) archeologists working in 
northern Jordan, and a hotel in the northern city of Irbid 
that they believed hosted Israeli tourists.  The plotters 
also threatened a GID official in Irbid for "targeting 
Muslims" and an Amman-based sheikh they believed had 
condemned the Zarqawi-linked Jayusi cell that targeted the 
U.S. Embassy, GID headquarters, and Prime Ministry in April 
2004 (refs). 
 
2.  (S/NF)  According to the press reports, the plotters are 
linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, but the precise nature of 
Zarqawi's alleged support is unclear.  As noted in refs, some 
of the plotters had communication and sympathized with 
members of the Jayusi cell.  Press reports suggest this 
plot's mastermind, 'Abd Shihada Hamid al-Tahawi, who is 
currently in custody, is a follower of Zarqawi. 
 
3.  (S/NF)  Comment:  As often happens with terrorism-related 
cases in Jordan, press reports of the arrests were several 
months behind the arrests themselves and not all the details 
were accurate.  The news of the latest plot hit the media 
only when judicial sources began leaking information this 
week about the impending indictment, but the GOJ had shared 
the information with the USG in October after the initial 
arrests were made.  Adding to the confusion, the latest 
revelations come amidst extensive reporting on at least three 
other terrorism cases currently working their way through the 
Security Court, reported septel. 
 
4.  (U)  Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through 
the Department of State's SIPRNET home page. 
HALE