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Zarqawi group trial opens in Amman

AMMAN, Jordan, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The Jordan trial of 13 suspected terrorists, including Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, adjourned for one week Wednesday.

Nine of the defendants -- yelling "Allah Akbar!" (God is great) -- entered the court amid heavy security to face charges of planning to bomb the U.S. Embassy and general intelligence building in Amman.

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Four of the accused will be tried in absentia, including Zarqawi, who was ordered to surrender to Jordanian authorities.

The military judge adjourned the hearing until next Wednesday to give the court time to appoint defense lawyers for six of the defendants.

Among those appearing in court was Azmi Jayussi, the leader of Zarqawi's al-Tawheed organization in Jordan and the suspected mastermind of the planned bombings with trucks laden with chemical explosives.

Jordanian authorities arrested the suspects in April after a clash in Amman in which four gunmen were killed.

If convicted of all charges, the defendants could face the death penalty.

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