Court convicts 6 for terrorist conspiracy against Jordan, Israel

Prison terms range from three to five years; 2 defendents acquitted for lack of evidence.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
palestinians, IDF 88 (photo credit: )
palestinians, IDF 88
(photo credit: )
Five terrorists shouted abuse at their judges Sunday after a military court convicted them of taking part in a terrorist plot to attack tourists in Jordan and Israeli targets in the West Bank. "Allah is our master and you have no Lord!" the terrorists yelled at the three judges who had found them guilty of terrorist conspiracy. A sixth man was also convicted, but in absentia. The bearded defendants, all Jordanians and Palestinians, embraced each other in the dock after the verdict. The court sentenced the six to prison terms ranging from three to five years. It acquitted two other defendants for lack of evidence. The attacks did not take place as police arrested the defendants - except for the fugitive - in February before they had carried out their plans. The fugitive, Abdul-Mu'ti Abdul-Aziz Abu-Mu'eliq, is believed to be in Syria. Defense lawyer Hamad Emoush said the convictions would be appealed. The indictment did not specify any targets, but it said the accused planned to attack tourists in Jordan, and Israeli sites in the West Bank. The charge sheet said the prime suspect, Ali Mamdouh al-Omari of Jordan, hatched the plot with fellow defendant Mohammed Sabri al-Jundi, a Palestinian. Both men allegedly espoused the ideology of "takfiri" - the killing of infidels to Islam. They recruited the other plotters. The court sentenced al-Omari and al-Jundi to five years in jail. The indictment said the accused received training in firearms and explosives in Syria and Lebanon. It also alleged that the fugitive, Abu-Mu'eliq, belongs to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement. The plotters received an unspecified amount of funds from an Islamic Jihad member in Saudi Arabia, according to the indictment.