Amman, April 15 (Petra) - Jordan Television aired on Tuesday evening the recorded confessions of suspects in cases involving rocket manufacturing, recruitment and training, as well as drones.

The suspects confessed to undertaking illegal activities and plans that targeted national security.

The confessions of eight suspects were broadcast, making up the three prime suspects in the rocket manufacturing case, the prime suspect in the first recruitment case, the two prime suspects in the second recruitment case, and two suspects in the drones case.

Rocket manufacturing case:

The suspect in the rocket manufacturing case, Abdullah Hisham Ahmad Abdulrahman (born in 1989) said he graduated with a specialty in civil engineering from the Jordan University of Science and Technology, and currently works in construction, solar power, and runs a workshop for his father.

Abdullah said his affiliation with the (unlicensed) Muslim Brotherhood group began in 2002, through schools, mosques, and other activities.

He acknowledged that a member of the Muslim Brotherhood group named Ibrahim (Ibrahim Mohammad is currently standing trial before the State Security Court) suggested to him the idea of producing rockets in Jordan in 2021, whereby Abdullah could take on the task of manufacturing the rocket fuselage.

Abdullah said he accepted the proposal, adding that Ibrahim asked him to suggest another individual to assist him, so he chose a relative named Muath Al Ghanem.

Ibrahim asked the two to travel to Lebanon, where they met with an organizational lead there who was overseeing the entire file.

Abdullah said he and the suspect Muath underwent a security check (polygraph test) when they were in Beirut, and were then asked to return to Jordan, where he briefed Ibrahim on the details.

Ibrahim later requested that they visit Lebanon again, so Abdullah and Muath travelled there, met with the organizational lead, and received training on manual lathe machines.

The suspect said they were received in Beirut and taken to a workshop set up in a building’s garage, equipped with manual lathe machines and operated by technicians, who gave them a training course to operate the machines and create objects similar to what they will be producing in Jordan.

After the training concluded, Abdullah said he and Muath returned to Jordan.

Abdullah said that the organizational lead in Beirut asked them to acquire equipment and set up a workshop in order to begin operations.

After researching the matter online, Abdullah said he found certain machines, and proposed to the organizational lead the idea of utilizing the CNC machine, which had not been considered, due to its speed and accuracy. The handler approved the proposal.

The suspect said they rented a warehouse in Jordan and started acquiring the material and basic tools locally, while Ibrahim provided the funds, including the price of the machines, as well as a phone to reach the handler in Beirut. Some of the funds were moved through Muhsen Al Ghanim (maternal uncle of the suspect Abdullah) from another country to which he had travelled often for business.

Abdullah said he consulted his uncle Muhsen on the importing of the machine, asking about a company that could provide customs clearance, and his uncle suggested a company for that purpose.

A warehouse was set up in Zarqa, according to Abdullah, equipped with a manual lathe machine and a CNC machine.

Once the machines were available, attempts to produce parts of the rocket or its fuselage began, Abdullah said in the recorded confession.

The suspect said he bought a land in Nuqaira area to set up a hangar, adding that he informed "Abu Ahmad" (the organizational lead) that if "work moves forward, we must move and expand the warehouse to ensure it is more secure and to get rid of the technical issues in the old warehouse," and he agreed.

Abdullah said the Nuqaira warehouse was made up of an open basement divided into an external open section and an internal section that included one or two concealed doors, describing them as concrete doors that were concealed to look like they were part of the building walls.

Suspect Muath Abdel Hakim Hassan Al Ghanem, born in 1990 and a graduate of civil engineering from the Hashemite University, works freelance in construction and solar power. He said his affiliation with the (unlicensed) Muslim Brotherhood group started in 2010 when he was at university, and he continues to be a member of a Brotherhood "family" (sub-grouping) in Shafa Badran area.

In mid-2021, Muath said his cousin suspect Abdullah Hisham suggested that they travel to Lebanon, where they went and met with "Abu Ahmad" (the organizational lead) who suggested to them the idea of manufacturing rocket fuselage in Jordan.

Muath added that a while later, until mid-2022, he and the suspect Abdullah visited Lebanon again and met with the handler a second time, and were shown the operation of a workshop of lathe machines to learn how they operate.

"We returned to Jordan, and at that time, I learned that an individual named Ibrahim, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, is aware of our activity and is overseeing it with Abdullah," he said.

In late 2022, early 2023, Muath said Abdullah came to him and informed him that he had bought the machines and placed them in a warehouse in Zarqa.

"I went there to check them and found two machines. Then I frequented the place to set it up and recall what we had learned in Lebanon," he added.

The suspect Muath said that during the same period in 2023, Abdullah had the idea of setting up a separate warehouse in Nuqaira area. Abdullah bought the land and began the process of designing and building the structure, which continued until around mid-2023.

"After the warehouse was ready, Abdullah and I bought the tubes and moved them to the Nuqaira warehouse, and I visited the place several times to conduct maintenance, electricity, and sanitation work," Muath said.

For his part, suspect Muhsen Hassan Mohammad Al Ghanem, born in 1972, said he has a bachelor’s degree in administration from Yarmouk University and works as a trader of construction material in Zarqa, where he also lives in the Medina Munawara suburb.

Muhsen noted his affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, saying he has been a member of a "family" (sub-grouping) since 1994, and is currently a member of a "family" affiliated with the central Zarqa area’s faction.

Outlining his dealings with suspect Abdullah Hisham, Muhsen said Abdullah came to him in 2022 and asked him to move money for him from another country.

Muhsen said he inquired about the purpose of this request, and Abdullah told him he was working on a secret project.

Muhsen said he went to that country and met with a man named Ibrahim, who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood group in Jordan, and he gave him $20,000, after which Muhsen returned to Jordan and delivered the money to Abdullah.

Several months later, Muhsen said Abdullah came to him and asked him to import machines from China.

Upon inquiring about them, Abdullah informed him they were CNC machines.

Muhsen said he had his suspicions and asked Abdullah about the purpose of these machines, noting that he learned that Abdullah was working on a project to create a rocket prototype, or rocket fuselage.

"I told him I could not procure the machine through my company and suggested a customs clearance company to import it instead, and this is what took place," Muhsen said.

He added that after several months, Abdullah again asked for a small amount of money from the same country.

Muhsen said he travelled to that country and met with an unidentified individual who gave him $7,000. He then returned to Jordan and gave the $7,000 to Abdullah.

After a few months, the suspect Muhsen said Abdullah told him there was an amount of $10,000, and this was also delivered to Abdullah in Jordan.

After several months, Muhsen said he learned by chance that the suspect Abdullah has rented a warehouse owned by Muhsen and his brothers. Muhsen claimed he had been unaware of that.

The suspect Muhsen said Abdullah came to him again and asked him to bring $5,000, as Muhsen was planning to travel again to that country.

Muhsen said he travelled there and met with an unidentified individual who gave him $5,000 before he returned to Jordan.

Recruitment cases

In the first recruitment case, suspect Khader Abdulaziz confessed of his illegal activities inside Jordan, noting that he has been a member of the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group since 1975, following high school (Tawjihi).

The suspect Abdulaziz said he currently works as the head of the administrative office of the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood, which consists of the Muslim Brotherhood branches in Zarqa in addition to the political party of the Muslim Brotherhood (the Islamic Action Front).

Abdulaziz, who said he was a member of the Shura council of the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group for two terms, confessed to recruiting youth from the Muslim Brotherhood through advanced courses that he described as "ideological" as well as "some security courses".

The suspect acknowledged he does not deny he committed a mistake as a result of his illegal activities.

In the second recruitment case, suspect Marwan Hawamdeh (Marwan Mabrouk) confessed that he recruited another suspect called Anas Abu Awwad. Marwan said he joined the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group nearly 13 years ago. He added that he was a leader of a "family" (Brotherhood sub-grouping).

The suspect Marwan revealed that a person offered to connect him with some people in another country who were interested in meeting him. He said he agreed and travelled there following the arrangement of an appointment for him. He was told that they would meet him at the airport and they would recognize him through his description.

Marwan said he met with a young Egyptian national in that country and stayed at his place for three days to hold meetings. He said he was asked to recruit youth and that he accepted, noting that he called the other suspect, Anas Abu Awwad, telling him to go to the same country. Anas arrived there two days later.

For his part, the suspect Anas Abu Awwad confessed that suspect Marwan Hawamdeh was his "family leader" within the unlicensed Muslim Brotherhood group, which he joined in 2010 and continues to be an active member.

He said that Marwan suggested to him the idea of recruiting youth inside Jordan, and he had reached out to him for this purpose after travelling to another country.

Anas accepted the invitation to join Marwan in that country, and was provided with an address for the meeting.

The suspect Anas said he was asked, during a meeting with individuals, to recruit youth inside Jordan, and that after he agreed, they provided him with an encrypted mobile phone to communicate with them through Telegram application. They also identified how to communicate and connect with them, and where to meet.

Also during the meeting, the suspect said that live locations (for direct meetings) were identified inside Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He was also asked to always inform them whenever he decides to travel.

Anas said live locations (for direct meetings) in Jordan were set near a restaurant on Abdullah Ghosheh Street in Amman, and near Al Zaytoonah University Mosque on the airport road.

The suspect Anas said he informed them he was planning an Umrah trip to Saudi Arabia. They told him that a person would be sent to meet him in Mecca for two days.

The suspect said he met that person following Asr prayers at the agreed upon address, which was near Al Faqih Mosque, opposite Al Baik Restaurant in Aziziyah area.

He explained that the signs to identify the person included wearing a hat and a backpack, while holding a rosary, noting that the purpose of the meeting was to introduce him to a third person (a Lebanese national). He was told that this person may visit him in Jordan in case they wanted anything from him.

The suspect Anas said shortly after he returned to Jordan, he received a message to travel to a third country again to meet one of the individuals he had previously met. He said he travelled there and met at a specified time and address with that person, who told him the purpose of the visit was to receive a security course and be tasked with some assignments.

The suspect acknowledged that during the visit he was given a small memory drive protected by a username and a password. It contained some information and a list of names. He also admitted that he brought his own list of names. He was asked to further verify these names and the list they provided.

The suspect Anas said he was asked to visit some dead drops in Jordan for hiding illegal items, such as weapons and explosives, to check if they were suitable for hiding a flash memory. He claimed that this was what he was made to understand, indicating that these dead drops were at graveyards (Shafa Badran and Umm Al Hiran graveyards).

Drones case:

In the drones case, the confessions of two suspects, Ali Qasem and Abdulaziz Haroun were broadcast.

Qasem said he and two others (suspects Ahmad Khalifa and Abdullah Haddar) decided in late 2023 to undertake material action, and agreed on the idea of manufacturing drones.

They decided then to reach out to suspect Abdulaziz Haroun, who is an aviation engineer.

The suspect Qasem said the four met several times, and tasked Abdulaziz Haroun with obtaining the needed designs for the drone’s external structure, since he had studied aviation engineering.

The suspect Ahmad Khalifa was tasked with handling the drone’s electrical circuit and its programming.

For his part, the suspect Abdulaziz Haroun said he reached the conclusion that the material used to manufacture drones is a key element, and researched this as well as the potential material that can be used. He found the option of foam cardboard, which he said was used in drones in the Russia-Ukraine war, and had been utilized by Ukraine.

Abdulaziz said the suspect Ahmad Khalifa suggested the idea of using gliders, saying he had tested it at his farm and it flew well.

Abdulaziz informed the group that since Ahmad Khalifa’s experiment worked, it would be possible for them to cooperate to find a way to manufacture the proposed drones and test them on a program, provided that they are modified as required.

The suspect confessed that he was considering acquiring the rest of the necessary material through his father, who has connections with arms dealers.

//Petra// AF

15/04/2025 20:41:53