Al-Qaeda Suspects Sought to Disperse Chemicals With Explosives, Says Expert in Jordan Trial

Thirteen al-Qaeda suspects on trial in Jordan intended to disperse unidentified chemical agents using “highly sensitive” explosives, an expert witness testified yesterday (see GSN, May 12).

“From experiments I conducted on the material and from defendants’ confessions, the plan was to cause a conventional explosion using common explosives to disperse chemicals encircling the explosives,” said Maj. Maan Abu-Nuwar, an explosives expert from Jordan’s intelligence agency.

An experiment conducted by the prosecution “led to a strong explosion and a poison cloud which spread over an area of 500 meters,” according to prosecutors.

The nine men in custody, along with Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi and three other fugitives, are accused of plotting what was intended to be al-Qaeda’s first chemical attack, according to Jordanian authorities (Jamal Halaby, Associated Press, May 30).

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