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Jordanian Police Have Suspects in Foley's Killing in Custody
Aired December 15, 2002 - 08:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Officials in Jordan say they have solved the killing of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley. He was gunned down two months ago in Amman. Jordanian police now have two suspects in custody. They have apparently confessed to the killing and to being members of al Qaeda.
Jane Arraf joins us now live from Amman with the latest -- Jane, is Jordan trumpeting this as a triumph against terrorism?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, in a sense, and certainly it's its own personal victory since this was aimed, according to Jordanian officials, at destabilizing the small country, which, of course, is a neighbor of Iraq's, as well as a major U.S. ally in the region and one of only two Arab countries to have made peace with Israel.
Now, Jordan's foreign minister says, he tells us that he hopes the arrests will also shed some more light on al Qaeda's organizational structure and its links in the Arab world, where the group is believed to have been reestablishing itself after those U.S. attacks in Afghanistan.
Now, the two men who were arrested are in custody in a prison outside Amman. They are Yasser Fathi Ibraheem, who is a Jordanian, and a Libyan national, Salem Saeed Bin Suweid, who authorities say arrived here on a fake Tunisian passport.
Now, the importance of these people is not just, according to authorities, that they confessed to the killing of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley, but that they were taking orders, apparently, from a high ranking Jordanian member of al Qaeda, who has been convicted in absentia.
Now, Foley was gunned down outside of his house in October. That killing totally shocked this country, which has been considered safe for foreigners and for Americans in particular. But he was killed outside his relatively unprotected home and the killing did go unsolved for a month. So this is definitely a breakthrough.
The U.S. now is going to review, as it has been intending to do, a notice allowing embassy people here to leave if they wanted to, non- essential staff and family members, if they felt their security was jeopardized -- Charles.
MOLINEAUX: OK, thank you.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Custody>
Aired December 15, 2002 - 08:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Officials in Jordan say they have solved the killing of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley. He was gunned down two months ago in Amman. Jordanian police now have two suspects in custody. They have apparently confessed to the killing and to being members of al Qaeda.
Jane Arraf joins us now live from Amman with the latest -- Jane, is Jordan trumpeting this as a triumph against terrorism?
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is, in a sense, and certainly it's its own personal victory since this was aimed, according to Jordanian officials, at destabilizing the small country, which, of course, is a neighbor of Iraq's, as well as a major U.S. ally in the region and one of only two Arab countries to have made peace with Israel.
Now, Jordan's foreign minister says, he tells us that he hopes the arrests will also shed some more light on al Qaeda's organizational structure and its links in the Arab world, where the group is believed to have been reestablishing itself after those U.S. attacks in Afghanistan.
Now, the two men who were arrested are in custody in a prison outside Amman. They are Yasser Fathi Ibraheem, who is a Jordanian, and a Libyan national, Salem Saeed Bin Suweid, who authorities say arrived here on a fake Tunisian passport.
Now, the importance of these people is not just, according to authorities, that they confessed to the killing of U.S. diplomat Laurence Foley, but that they were taking orders, apparently, from a high ranking Jordanian member of al Qaeda, who has been convicted in absentia.
Now, Foley was gunned down outside of his house in October. That killing totally shocked this country, which has been considered safe for foreigners and for Americans in particular. But he was killed outside his relatively unprotected home and the killing did go unsolved for a month. So this is definitely a breakthrough.
The U.S. now is going to review, as it has been intending to do, a notice allowing embassy people here to leave if they wanted to, non- essential staff and family members, if they felt their security was jeopardized -- Charles.
MOLINEAUX: OK, thank you.
Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Custody>
