Detained Qaeda men planned Jordan power plant attack

By Suleiman al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) – A group of al Qaeda militants arrested by
Jordanian authorities had planned to blow up a major power
plant that feeds the whole country, security sources said on
Thursday.

Jordan announced on Wednesday it had foiled an al Qaeda
“terrorist plot” and arrested two Iraqis and a Libyan who were
plotting to carry out a suicide attack against a vital civilian
installation. Officials said the arrests took place last week.

Authorities did not specify the planned target. The
security sources said the government did not reveal details
because it did not want to stir public anxiety and panic.

They said another Iraqi man linked to the group was
detained in Jordan last night. Two more Iraqis and a Saudi
militant were believed to have fled to neighboring Syria, they
added without elaborating.

Officials said the attack, if carried out, would have been
the deadliest in a series of recent strikes targeting Jordan.

“There have been smaller plots but this is by far the most
serious in the last few months given the number of people
involved, the weapons confiscated and (nature) of the target,”
government spokesman Naser Joudeh said without elaborating.

Officials said security forces have been vigilant ever
since al Qaeda militants loyal to Jordanian-born Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi carried out suicide attacks at three luxury hotels
that killed 60 people in Jordan Last November. Zarqawi had
since pledged more attacks against Jordan.

Militants also fired rockets against two U.S. warships last
August but missed them.

EXPLOSIVES MATCHED

Officials said the 4 kg (9 pounds) of explosives matched
those found with an Iraqi woman who failed to detonate her bomb
at one of the three Amman hotels.

“Every time there is a foiled attempt there is increased
vigilance based on newly acquired information,” Joudeh added.

Officials and security experts said the failed al Qaeda
suicide bombing in Jordan was a signal that Zarqawi was
stepping up his campaign against one of Washington’s closest
Arab allies.

They say Zarqawi, angry at his country’s close ties with
the United States and emboldened by the hotel bombings, has
opened a new front in Jordan where he was jailed for three
years.

“Zarqawi now is depending on the Jordanian arena as a
sphere of influence that is not less important than Iraq,” said
Mohamed Najjar, an Amman-based expert on Islamists.

Security experts noted that in his latest attacks Zarqawi
was using non-Jordanian Arab militants, primarily Iraqis, who
came with battle-hardened experience to undertake operations
inside Jordan and head back home.

“It’s clear that Zarqawi is now using the strategy of
relying on Arabs and this is very dangerous because Jordan has
an open doors policy toward Arabs and the ease of entry will
facilitate matters despite precautionary measures,” Najjar
said.

Non-Jordanians are harder to track down.

A chemical attack plot in April 2004 was to be carried out
by Zarqawi’s Jordanian aide Azmi Jayousi, who ended up with
most of his aides behind bars.

Jordanian authorities say they have foiled many militant
attacks against well-guarded embassies and tourist sites, but
admit they now face unprecedented challenges.

“We are now talking about a more lethal enemy who knows no
red lines and has extended the Iraqi front to soft targets in
his own country…and more instability in Iraq is helping him
turn his attention increasingly to Jordan,” said one senior
official with links to the intelligence establishment.