Jordan arrests the killers of the American diplomat
Jordan-USA, Politics, 12/16/2002

The US has commended the work of the Jordanian security authorities which availed arresting the two persons convicted of killing the American diplomat Laurence Folley. Jordanian officials said the two Jordanians were planning to launch other attacks against diplomats and embassies in Amman.

Jordan, which admitted yesterday the existence of al-Qaida cells on its territories, announced the arresting of the Libyan Salem Saad Bin Sweid and the Jordanian Yasser Fatehi Ibrahim who belong to al-Qaida on Saturday in Amman on charges of assassinating Folley in October in Amman.

The Jordanian minister of information Muhammad al-Edwan said that the two men admitted "their membership to al-Qaida organization and their links to the fleeing criminal, the so called Fadeil Nizal al-Khalaeylah, known as 'Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi,' who has been outside the country since 1999." Al-Zarqawi is sentenced in absentia for 15 years imprisonment in a case related to al-Qaida cell which was accused of planning to attack touristic and religious sites in Jordan in the beginning of 2000.

Al-Adwan added, according to confessions made by the two men, that al-Zarqawi specified to the two of them "work missions to carry out terrorist acts targeting embassies, foreign diplomats and security men." He continued that al-Zarqawi provided them with weapons and money in order to carry out the attacks and he also tried "to smuggle several missiles to the Kingdom in order to carry out terrorist operations." Replying to a question on trying the two men and whether the US will ask for handing over them, the Jordanian minister said the two men committed their crimes in Jordan and will be brought before the court in Jordan.

Meantime, the American embassy in Amman, immediately expressed satisfaction over arresting the two men. Its spokesman said "we thank the Jordanian government over the rapidity and determination they showed in pursuing the killers of Laurence Folley." He added "we will continue cooperation with the Jordanian authorities in this matter."

Previous Stories:
  Al-Wahda: Americans leaving Jordan   (12/4/2002)
  Washington intends to withdraw some of its diplomats in Jordan   (11/23/2002)
  Satterfield in Amman meets with Abul Ragheb, Muasher   (11/14/2002)

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