Local

AMMAN — Next week, the State Security Court (SSC) will start hearing the case of eight Jordanian suspects who were allegedly affiliated with the Daesh terror group, and were plotting subversive acts against security personnel and other vital areas in the Kingdom, a senior judicial source said.

The eight are part of 10 suspects, including one at large and a minor, who were officially charged by the SSC prosecutor for plotting subversive acts, promoting terrorist ideologies, joining terror and armed groups as well as attempting to join terror and armed groups, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

According to the charge sheet, the defendants were friends and some of them were close relatives and they reportedly decided to join Daesh because they “believed that they could establish an caliphate”.

“The group was also promoting Daesh ideologies that are available on social media and decided to join the extremists in Syria after Daesh issued threats against the Jordanian security forces at the beginning of this year,” the charge sheet noted.

However, the charge sheet added, the suspects were unable to “join militants in Syria and instead decided to conduct terror operations inside Jordan using explosive belts based on Daesh’s threats, which they considered a fatwa [religious decree]”.

The group attempted to collect cash “to supply themselves with a computer to learn how to manufacture explosive belts”, according to the charge sheet.

However, the suspects were arrested by the General Intelligence Department agents before being able to carry out any of their alleged plots.

Lawyer Musa Abdullat told The Jordan Times that he will be representing four of the 10 of the individuals, including the main suspect.

“I have not been informed about the session but I anticipate that it will be early next week,” Abdullat said.

If convicted, some of the defendants could face the death penalty.

AMMAN — In light of the regional crises, Turkey and Jordan have played a major role in bringing peace and stability to the region, according to a Turkish politician. 

“Turkey considers Jordan as a reliable friend in the Middle East, a strong partner and an important ally in the war against terrorism,” Emrullah Isler, former deputy prime minister and member of the Grand National Assembly AK Party, said at a seminar last week.

Titled “Jordan in a Changing Regional Environment Scenarios for the Future Era 2” was organised by Al Quds Centre for Political Studies in cooperation with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the seminar analysed diplomatic relations and regional developments.

“The Middle East is one of the regions that hosted the oldest civilisation in the world and nowadays we can easily tell that this area is witnessing a number of challenges and dangerous threats, mainly poverty, social and economic injustices, political pressures and security concerns,” Isler said. 

Both Jordan and Turkey have been subjected to similar difficulties, Isler continued, “the most prominent being the fight against terrorism and the Syrian crisis, bringing stability back to Iraq as well as the influx of refugees”, Isler explained.  

Regarding the Syrian conflict, Turkey and Jordan are the two countries that have suffered the most, affecting their security and resources, he added. 

However, they have remained strong and stressed the need to find ways to resolve the crisis, he said.

The countries both have similar hopes in “seeing Syria prosper, become stable and capable to preserve its political unity and wish to see a similar scenario in Iraq”, said Isler.

In order to bring peace back to the region, it is important to resolve the Palestinian conflict with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, he said.

Regarding the economic ties between Amman and Ankara, Isler said: “the free trade agreement, the visa free travel and the direct flights are some examples that contribute to the backbone of our economic relations”, Isler said. 

The amount of commercial trade between Turkey and Jordan amount to around $1 billion thereby “enhancing mutual commerce with the Jordanian partner is one of our top priorities”, said Isler. 

AMMAN — Jordan ranked 11th among Arab countries and 130th internationally on the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Women in Politics in a 2017 report that was issued on November 1, the Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) said on Thursday.

Women representation in Parliament stood at 15.4 per cent in the Lower House, 20 women out of 130 members, and the Senate,10 out of 65, according to a SIGI statement.

SIGI called for abiding by international references that highlight the importance of enhancing women participation in politics for achieving sustainable and palpable development. As for women representation in ministerial positions, Jordan ranked ninth in the Arab world and 149th globally. 

AMMAN — Water Minister Hazem Al Nasser on Thursday signed an agreement to renovate a water treatment plant in Tafileh that will cost $32 million, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The project, funded by a grant from the US government and the Jordanian treasury, will renovate the station and automate its operations to cover most of Tafileh’s regions.

During the signing ceremony, Nasser stressed the importance of the national project for the sanitation sector, recycling water and increasing irrigation water. He expressed his appreciation of the US grant, which amounted to $22.98 million. The government contribution amounted to $9.219 million. The project aims to raise the station’s capacity from 1,600mcm to 7, 200mcm.  

AMMAN — Supporting the industrial sector is a joint responsibility of the government, consumers and industrialists themselves, Industry, Trade and Supply Minister Yarub Qudah said on Thursday.

Inaugurating the Jordan industry fair in Irbid, organised by Amman and Irbid chambers of industry titled “Made in Jordan”, Qudah said that the industrial sector is the main player in increasing rates of the gross domestic product, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

While Jordanian expatriates’ remittances reached JD2.8 billion, guest workers’ remittances stood at around JD1.8 billion, which requires joining efforts to support local labour. The minister toured the pavilions of the four-day exhibition that sees the participation of food, medical and engineering industrial institutions. 

AMMAN — Ribhi Daamseh from the Balqa Applied University, has received the golden medal in the Emirates Energy Award for an EU-funded project on developing small solar thermal systems with the use of pioneering technologies to improve energy efficiency at public buildings.

Daamseh received the award after four years of work with an EU team, where they developed and installed four thermal solar stations in Italy, Jordan, Cyprus and Egypt, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Jordan’s station was installed at Balqa Applied University, where the generated thermal energy was used for cooling, heating, water desalination and generating power, Petra added.

AMMAN — A joint security force, comprising personnel of the Balqa police, criminal investigation and preventive security departments, on Thursday dawn arrested a suspect for firing shots two days earlier in front of the Balqa Applied University.

A security source said that the suspect, who was arrested during a raid on his residence, has a criminal record and is believed to making the firings that injured two people for previous disputes, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The injured were listed in fair condition, the source noted.  Searching the residence, security agents seized the gun “that was used for the shooting”, the source said, adding that the suspect will be referred to judicial authorities after initial investigation. 

AMMAN — Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury on Wednesday stressed the importance of continued support to Jordan to enable it to continue providing services to the Syrian refugees and host communities.

The remark came during a meeting with the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) David Miliband, according to a ministry statement.

Fakhoury outlined the economic situation in Jordan, including the economic and social challenges, focusing on the growth rates, public debt and fight against unemployment and poverty.

He pointed to the burden borne by Jordan as a result of the regional conditions, including the hosting of large numbers of Syrian refugees.

The Planning Minister praised the commitment of the IRC in implementing projects to support the Syrian refugees and the host communities, which will contribute in creating job opportunities for Jordanian youth and promoting the concept of self-reliance by supporting individual projects. 

AMMAN — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat on Wednesday received members of two parliamentary blocs, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They discussed the latest regional developments and issues of mutual interest to improve cooperation between the Jordan’s Armed Forces-Arab Army and the Lower House.

The members of parliament expressed their appreciation to the Jordan Armed Forces, and praised their efforts and competence.

AMMAN — Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem on Wednesday called on the faithful to hold their next Sunday prayers for Jordan’s security and peace, and to the Jordanian people and its army, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the patriach said that 12 years have passed since the dramatic day of November 9, 2005, when Amman, which is a capital of peace, was attacked by three terrorist bombings targeting innocent citizens and their guests.

The statement added that the bombings “have not left our minds” and that “we still pray for Jordan”.