 | They look like the 'before' pics for the Hair Club for Men ... |
Three suspected Hamas members on Thursday confessed on Jordan TV that they were recruited by a Syria-based leader of the movement to kill intelligence personnel and others in the Kingdom. The TV, which broadcast accounts of the three-member group that is part of 20 suspects arrested for smuggling arms from Syria into Jordan and plotting to carry out attack, also showed footage of seized weapons, including dozens of handgrenades, Iranian-made Katyusha rockets, Light Anti-tank Weapon rocket launchers and machineguns. Some of the weapons were wrapped in plastic and hidden in an olive grove in northern Jordan. The three men said they were involved in surveillance operations and assassination plots.
In his confession, leader of the group, Ayman Naji Daraghmeh, 34, a resident of Hashmieh town to the east of Zarqa, spoke about his links to Hamas, trips to Syria and monitoring of a General Intelligence Department (GID) officer, who lives in Salt. Daraghmeh met during Umra (Lesser pilgrimage) in Saudi Arabia another Hamas operative, identified as Abu Hassan, who told him that the officer harmed the Hamas. Daraghmeh, who said he received military and intelligence training in Syria, met Abu Hassan in Amman and took photos of the officers house. Daraghmeh said he delivered a camera disc to Wael Abu Hantash, a Hamas member in Damascus. Daraghmeh, arrested on April 18, said he later met in Zarqa a bus driver and took from him arms he smuggled from Syria.
A second suspect, Ahmad Mohammad Abu Rabie, 27, said he was arrested on May 6. Abu Rabie said he was recruited by Daraghmeh to buy weapons for Hamas and conduct surveillance of a bus that transported GID personnel. Both suspects said they planned to attack the bus. Abu Rabie also said Daraghmeh told him to carry out surveillance of tourists in Aqaba, with the aim of carrying out attacks there.
A third suspect, Ahmad Nimir Abu Thiyab, arrested on April 18, was a mosque imam in Mafraq. Abu Thiyab, who received a 20-day military training in Syria, said he got weapons and ammunitions for Hamas in Jordan, and that some of the arms came from Iraq. He was tasked by Daraghmeh to monitor foreign tourists in Aqaba and a Jordanian businessman, identified as Sami George Khouri, who owns a farm in Mafraq. Abu Thiyab said Daraghmeh thought the businessman was a Jew, but he was actually a Christian. I told them hes a Jordanian Christian and I had a good relationship with him, but Daraghmeh said hes a Jew and a target for us, Abu Thiyab said, quoting Daraghmeh as telling him that the mission was for the sake of God and Islam.
Abu Thiyab added that Daraghmeh offered him money to accept the assignments. He knew I was having family problems because of [lack of] money. He encouraged me to leave my [Ministry of Islamic Affairs and] Awqaf job, which paid me JD100 a month and promised to give me JD150, Abu Thiyab said. Sometimes, they threatened me. They said I was involved in this and if they get caught, I will be arrested with them.
Earlier Thursday, Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh said a Palestinian security team headed by intelligence chief Major General Tareq Abu Rajab wrapped up a visit to Amman, where they were acquainted with the details of the case. Judeh told reporters on Wednesday that investigations also revealed attempts to bring recruits from the Palestinian territories to send them to Syria and Iran to receive military, security and intelligence training. But he did not accuse Syria or Iran of involvement in arms smuggling or training of suspects.
Agence France-Presse quoted a top Jordanian official as saying that Jordan is not accusing Iran of implication in this affair, nor is it accusing Syria. We have established that the Hamas elements who were arrested came from Syria and that certain arms were of Iranian-make, but our accusations centre on Hamas, on which we place full responsibility for these attempts to destabilise Jordan.
Meanwhile, Hamas Spokesman Mushir Masri told AFP that the Jordanian government was trying to exaggerate the situation by causing an uproar but this will have only minimal consequences, adding that he regretted the means used by Amman. The Hamas-led government had refused to send delegates with the Palestinian team. After the discovery of the arms cache, Jordan cancelled a planned visit by Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar.
Also Thursday, acting Lower House Speaker Nayef Fayez said in remarks to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the House categorically rejects any attempt by any party to destabilise Jordan. He voiced the Houses full support for the government and the security services dedicated efforts that led to the discovery of the plots. |
One person has been wounded in exchanges of gunfire between members of the Palestinian security forces and Hamas followers near the Gaza City branch of the Palestinian parliament, AFP says, quoting security sources. The Associated Press reported that a firefight erupted near the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza City on Monday and quoted witnesses as saying that the shooting came from an area where a new Hamas militia has been posted. Witnesses said the incident began when members of a Hamas militia came under fire and sought cover in an abandoned building. The militiamen exchanged fire with those shooting at them, the witnesses said. At one point, a Palestinian police car tried to approach, but was shot at. Ambulances raced to the scene.
Earlier on Monday, a Palestinian fighter was shot dead in clashes in the Gaza Strip despite pledges by Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and the Hamas-led government to avoid escalation of violence. Mohammed Abu Taima, who belonged to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a paramilitary faction linked to Abbas' Fatah party, suffered fatal 
GAZA (Reuters) - Masked gunmen on Sunday shot and wounded a Palestinian bodyguard for an intelligence chief reporting to President Mahmoud Abbas, security officials said.
The Jordanian security forces have arrested 20 Hamas activists in connection with arms smuggling charges, the governments spokesman 
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has named three new leaders for the security forces and forced hundreds of their men into retirement, pushing aside top commanders in Yasser Arafat's old guard. The shake-up on Saturday brings Abbas closer to meeting Israeli and US demands for reform of corruption-plagued security forces, also criticised by ordinary Palestinians for failing to maintain law and order. Brigadier General 