JORDAN: HAMAS LEADER KHALID MASHAAL ASSAULTED AND INJURED

(27 Sep 1997) Arabic/Eng/Nat

The Jordanian government acknowledged on Saturday that a Hamas leader was attacked in Amman but stopped short of calling it an assassination attempt.

The Jordanian Information Minister said two Canadians attacked Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal on Thursday with what Hamas described as an electrical device.

The minister said the two men had been arrested.

This is the Amman hospital where Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal is recovering from his injuries.

Hamas said the 37-year-old Mashaal, received slight head injuries and was hospitalised with breathing problems, dizziness and balance problems after being attacked with an electrical device.

Mashaal's bodyguard was also hospitalised with head injuries after the attack.

As head of Hamas' political bureau, Mashaal was responsible for planning the group's strategy which has included several suicide bombings in Israel, including the July 30 and September 4 attacks in Jerusalem that killed 20 Israelis.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, that movement which was born from the suffering of Jerusalem."
SUPER CAPTION: Khalid Mashaal

Jordanian Information Minister Samir Mutawe confirmed that an attack had taken place but declined to identify the weapon which had been used.

He said the incident came after an argument between Mashaal and the two Canadians but did not say what the argument had been about.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It would appear that the two Canadians were shopping in the area near Mr Mashaal's office. They were suspected by his driver so some form of quarrel happened after which they took their car and tried to get away. They were chased later on by Mr Mashaal's driver and that's where the incident of the quarrel took place, when the police car arrived."
SUPER CAPTION: Samir Mutawe, Jordanian Information Minister

Mutawe would not comment on speculation that the two men responsible for the attack were Israelis with Canadian passports.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, what was found with the two men were Canadian passports."
SUPER CAPTION: Samir Mutawe, Jordanian Information Minister

Members of Hamas have called on the Jordanian government to make the identities of the two Canadians public.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, we think the Mossad intelligence service is behind this failed assassination attempt and we think that the official position from the Jordan government is the first attempt to deal with this assassination attempt as a serious assassination and we call on the Jordananian government to clear all the things about the identification of the elements who were trying to kill Mr Khalid Mashaal and who is behind these elements."
SUPER CAPTION: Moussa Marzouk, member of the Hamas Politbureau

The Jordanian government said the two men believed responsible for the attack were in custody but the minister would not identify the men or say where they were being held.

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