Chemical expert testifies in Jordan al-Qaida trial that defendants had dangerous chemicals By SHAFIKA MATTAR Associated Press Writer AMMAN, Jordan A chemical expert testified in Jordan's military court on Wednesday that material allegedly nabbed from defendants charged with plotting terror attacks in Jordan was "hazardous chemicals" but said great expertise would have been needed to make a harmful substance.
The expert, identified only as an army chemical expert but whose name was withheld in the courtroom, was brought to the witness stand by defense lawyers who are trying to substantiate their allegations that 13 suspects, including the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, did not possess harmful chemicals. The military prosecution maintained that the alleged militant group planned to detonate an explosion at the Amman headquarters of the General Intelligence Department that would have sent a cloud of toxic chemicals across the capital city, killing thousands. Cross-examined by defense lawyers on chemicals allegedly seized with the group, such as cyanide and chlorine, the expert conceded that a certain mix "could affect the nerves, cause death, paralysis and suffocation." "But to manufacture such harmful chemicals, you need good knowledge in chemistry, expertise in mixing chemicals and the appropriate equipment," he added, further implicating the defendants, mainly prime suspect Azmi al-Jayousi. The military prosecution claims al-Jayousi acquired knowledge on manufacturing explosives and mixing poisons from training he received in Afghanistan in 1999, when he met Jordanian-born terrorist Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi. The hearing was later adjourned until Oct. 12. Al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi and three other fugitives are being tried in absentia along with nine men in police custody on charges of possessing and manufacturing explosives and affiliation with a banned group, identified as Kata'eb al-Tawhid, Arabic for "Battalions of Monotheism." Their plot was uncovered and foiled when the nine men were arrested in different police sweeps in Jordan in April 2004. In a televised confession last year, prime suspect Azmi al-Jayousi said his group had plotted the chemical attack under instruction from al-Zarqawi. But in subsequent court hearings, he told the court that his guilty confession was extracted forcefully. In an audiotape posted on the Internet in May 2004, a man who identified himself as al-Zarqawi acknowledged that his group had been plotting an attack in Jordan but denied it involved chemicals. If convicted, 12 of the defendants _ including al-Zarqawi _ could be sentenced to death. The 13th man is charged with the lesser crime of assisting two fugitives. In a separate hearing Wednesday, two Palestinians disrupted their trial in the same military court, shouting insults at the judge, after being asked to plead. Moussa Khader Ramadan, 23, and Munther Mahmoud Saadeh, 24, are alleged to have planned to go to Iraq to join the insurgency against the U.S.-backed government. They are charged with conspiring to commit acts of terrorism and harm relations with a foreign country _ presumed to be Iraq and the United States. Each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on both counts. Sporting long beards, they chanted the Islamic battle cry "Allahu Akbar," or God is great, when asked to plead. "God is our master and he is not your God," they shouted at the judge. The judge ignored the fuss and adjourned the hearing to Oct. 12. Their plans were foiled when they were arrested on July 26, according to the indictment. Ramadan was deported from Syria, where he allegedly planned to cross to Iraq, and Saadeh was arrested in Jordan. The indictment did not detail their alleged terrorist acts or say if they had links to al-Zarqawi. str-snm-jjh-ts 051005 180317 Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. FAIR USE NOTICE: All original content and/or articles and graphics in this message are copyrighted, unless specifically noted otherwise. All rights to these copyrighted items are reserved. 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