Jordan dismantles a cell targeting American and Israelis

Government sources in Jordan announced yesterday that the authorities accused four Jordanians of Palestinian origin of planning to carry out "terrorist" attacks against Americans and Israelis in the country.

The authorities were able to arrest three of the members of the group on January 31st while one of its members, an employees at the Jordanian ministry of finance, was able to escape. The sources said that the detainees admitted their plans and they were accused of conspiring for committing "terrorist acts" and having illegal light weapons. They will be tried before the military state security court in a later date.

The Jordanian daily al-Rai said that the convicted persons, in particular target the Americans in al-Azraq area where there is the largest Jordanian air base, which reports said was used to launch the war against Iraq.