JORDAN : Al Qaeda-linked group accused in attack on choir
ICC Note
Members of Al Qaeda-linked group carried out attacks against a Christian choir group and a church in Jordan .
01/28/2009 Jordan (Los Angles Times)-An Al Qaeda-linked group was allegedly responsible for a violent attack on a Christian choir group in the Jordanian capital of Amman last July, authorities revealed Tuesday.
The incident took place in a downtown Amman neighborhood. A gunman opened fire on a bus full of tourists, wounding six, including four Lebanese musicians from a university choir.
After months of investigation, a group of 12 Jordanians of Palestinian origin were put on trial Tuesday on charges that included July’s shooting.
Their indictment alleged that the group’s mastermind, Shaker Khatib, was trained by a Lebanese offshoot of Osama bin Laden’s organization.
Khatib and the other men were also accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at a Christian church and possession of illegal weapons.
The charge sheet stated that the men decided to unleash their anger against Christians in Jordan after they heard word of a young Christian man sending mobile phone messages profaning Islam’s prophet Muhammad.
