Jordan's military prosecutor charged three Hamas operatives of a terror conspiracy involving attacks against Jordanian intelligence officers, Israeli visitors and unspecified sites in the kingdom, according to the indictment obtained Thursday.
Jordanian authorities arrested 20 alleged Hamas operatives in April on suspicions they were monitoring Jordanian intelligence officers and foreign tourists for possible attacks. Only three remained in custody and the other suspects were released apparently for lack of evidence.
The three Jordanian men of Palestinian origin appeared on Jordan TV in May and confessed to conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks and to acquiring weapons and ammunitions for Hamas.
The draft indictment sheet charged Ayman Naji Daraghmeh, 34, Ahmad Abu Rabee, 27 and Ahmed Abu Thiyab, a mosque preacher, of illegal possession of weapons and storing ammunitions.
In his televised confession, al-Daraghmeh had said he received his orders from a high ranking Hamas leader living in Syria.
The accusations were denied by Hamas, which said Jordan was trying to undermine the Palestinian government it now heads.
The indictment said that al-Daraghmeh had revealed the caches of weapons in the kingdom.
Jordanian television showed footage of weapons, including dozens of hand grenades and Iranian-made Katyusha rockets, that it said were seized during raids since April.
Some of the weapons were wrapped in plastic and had allegedly been hidden in an olive grove in northern Jordan.
The indictment said militants were also charged of monitoring and photographing the Israeli embassy, the residence of the ambassador and other staff, and offices of Jordanian businesses who deal with Israeli companies.
The three men were also accused of planning to attack a high ranking Jordanian intelligence officer.
Suspects do not have lawyers in the Jordanian military court before they are tried, and no defense comment was made Thursday.
If convicted the three men could be sentenced to death.
No date for the trial has been set.
Copyright 1995-2006 The Jerusalem Post
