Jordanian Acquitted of Plotting With Zarqawi
This nation’s military court convicted a Jordanian businessman of raising funds to help militant leader Abu Musab Zarqawi carry out assaults on U.S. forces in Iraq, but acquitted him of conspiring in the actual attacks.
Bilal Hiyari, 34, was sentenced to six months in prison. As Chief Judge Fawaz Buqour read the sentence, Hiyari stood silently in a navy blue prison uniform.
“You are acquitted of conspiring to carry out terror attacks because specific details of the accusation could not be substantiated with hard evidence,” Buqour told the defendant.
“Thank you,” Hiyari responded.
Military prosecutors accused Hiyari of having collected unspecified amounts of money for attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and terrorist activities in Jordan planned by Zarqawi. The Jordanian-born militant leader last month announced his group’s allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
Hiyari pleaded not guilty at the outset of the trial May 16, saying a previous confession had been extracted under duress.
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