Tension between Jordan and Hamas on the rise

The confession of three men accused of plotting attacks was screened yesterday on television, together with arms they allegedly smuggled from Syria. Hamas has said this is a "fabrication".

Amman (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Tensions between Jordan and Hamas show no signs of abating. In April, Amman accused Hamas of smuggling arms into Jordan, in preparation to carry out attacks, and it cancelled a visit of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mahmoud Zahar.

Last night, Amman television broadcast the confession of three out of 20 men arrested and charged with being part of a Hamas cell that smuggled arms from Syria and was plotting attacks. Footage included an arsenal, including rockets, grenades and mines, some of Iranian manufacture, which had been found "some time ago".

The "group leader", Ayman Naji Daraghmeh, 34 years, said he had ties with Hamas and made "frequent" trips to Syria, where he was trained and where the leadership of the movement is situated. He confessed he had been given the task of spying on a Jordanian intelligence officer who was to be killed. A second suspect, Ahmad Abou Rabieh, 27 years, said the group leader, Daraghmeh, had told him of plans to attack a bus carrying members of the intelligence services. He was also instructed to "watch some tourists" at Aqaba, on the Red Sea, with a view to planning attacks. The third suspect is an imam, Ahmad Abou Diab, accused of involvement in a plot to kill a Christian.

From Gaza, the Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, denied any Hamas involvement. "We are surprised by this media escalation in Jordan," he said. "There has been no change in Hamas' policies toward Jordan and what is going on in the media is not acceptable to us." Meanwhile, the movement spokesman, Mouchir al-Masri, explicitly described what happened as a "fabrication".

Jordanian security forces have let on that all information about the plot has been supplied to the head of the Palestinian Intelligence Services, Tarek Abou Rajab, currently in Jordan, including "secret papers proving the implication of Hamas". The Palestinian group was sent by the PNA President, Mahmoud Abba, and it does not include any men currently in government.

• jordan
• syria
• hamas
• terrorism
• confessions
• arms
• charges
• television