Jordanian premier confers with member of the Iraqi interim council

The Jordanian prime minister Ali Abul Ragheb yesterday met with member of the Iraqi interim governing council Eyad Allawi and stressed "Jordan's care to maintain the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq and the importance of achieving its peace and security as well as enabling the Iraqis running their own affairs by themselves."

Abul Ragheb said that Jordan wants to deal with the Iraqi governing council "in its being the first step on the road of forming an Iraqi government representing all the Iraqis." Abul Rafheb, on the other hand, announced that "the American occupation forces in Iraq detained several Jordanians. he said that his government: does not know number or identity of the detainees nor accusations addressed to them," noting that the Jordanian foreign ministry "exerts intensive efforts to release them."

On the other hand, trials for 13 persons started yesterday accused of planning to attack the American embassy in Amman including 10 Jordanians, the last one of them Muhammad Ahmad al-Chalabi, better known as Abu Sayyaf, who was arrested on Saturday, and three Saudis are still fleeing.

The trial sessions were postponed until October 28th in order to enable assigning a defendant lawyer for the accused. A Jordanian security source said that Abu Sayyaf is currently interrogated to be brought before the court within two weeks.