Jordan sentences terror leader al-Zarqawi to death

Jordan’s military court today sentenced al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and two other militants to death for a failed suicide bombing on the Jordanian-Iraqi border a year ago.

Al-Zarqawi, who is believed to be in Iraq, and another of the defendants were sentenced in absentia.

It is the second death sentence issued against the Jordanian-born al-Zarqawi by his homeland’s military court. The first was over the slaying of US aid worker Laurence Foley, who was gunned down outside his Amman home in October 2002.

The court said today it found them and Saudi militant Fahd Noman Suwelim al-Feheiqi – the only defendant in police custody – guilty of the planned terror attack, which the prosecution said targeted civilians on the Jordanian-Iraqi borders a year ago.

The planned attack, which failed when the bomber’s vehicle drove into a ditch, was intended to coincide with a blast that killed two US troops at an American forward operating base near the Iraqi-Jordanian border last December. Al-Feheiqi .

“If you kill me, God will consider my death martyrdom,” shouted the bearded al-Feheiqi, standing in the dock in dark blue prison uniform during the sentencing.

“I wanted to carry out the suicide bombing, but the ditch prevented me from doing so,” he shouted at the judges as the presiding three judges were leaving the heavily secured courtroom after issuing the verdict. Al-Feheiqi was arrested in December 2004.

Al-Feheiqi’s lawyer, Yousef al-Adwan, said he planned to appeal against the guilty verdict. “No bombing took place, and my client didn’t inflict harm on anyone,” he told reporters.

Today’s military court said it was “convinced beyond any doubt” that all three defendants had plotted terrorism.

At the outset of the trial that opened June 1, al-Feheiqi, 24, pleaded not guilty to charges of carrying out a failed suicide bombing on the Jordanian-Iraqi border and transport and possession of explosives and missiles.

The indictment sheet said al-Zarqawi instructed al-Feheiqi to listen for blasts inside the Iraqi border and then slam his explosives-laden vehicle into trucks parked in Jordanian territory.

But his vehicle fell in a ditch, causing the electric circuit to detach from the explosives. Al-Feheiqi tried to escape, but was captured by Jordanian border authorities.

Jordanian-born Al-Zarqawi, who is waging a wave of kidnappings, beheadings and suicide bombings in neighbouring Iraq, has claimed responsibility for the November 9 triple hotel blasts in Amman, which killed 60 people and injured scores of others.

The bombings, the deadliest terror attacks which has shaken Jordan’s long-standing reputation as a relatively stable Mideast nation, were carried out by three Iraqi suicide bombers.