Special report: Al-Qaida's chief Zarqawi killed

    AMMAN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The possibility of new large-scale terrorist attacks in Jordan has been significantly reduced as a result of the death of al-Qaida's chief in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, local newspaper The Jordan Times reported on Monday, citing analysts.

    "Zarqawi's death is definitely positive for Jordan as he had along-standing grudge against the regime and was heavily involved in planning and staging attacks in the country," Joost Hiltermann, the Jordan-based Middle East project director of International Crisis Group, was quoted as saying.

    Zarqawi, who was believed to be the top leader of the al-Qaida group in Iraq, was killed in a U.S. air strike on June 7 near Baquba, about 65 km northeast of Baghdad.

    Hiltermann also said that the likelihood of Zarqawi's followers in Jordan carrying out attacks in emulation or support of their slain leader was minimal.

    "The chances now of large-scale al-Qaida synchronized attacks has been greatly reduced with the end of Zarqawi. If there are attacks by his followers here seeking to emulate him, they are much more likely to be sporadic, low-key and unorganized," said Hilterman.

    The Jordanian-born Zarqawi, with a 25 million U.S. dollar bounty on his head, was accused of being behind some of the most gruesome kidnappings and killings including beheadings in Iraq.

    His group has also claimed responsibility for several terror attacks against Jordan, including the triple hotel bombing attacks on Nov. 9, 2005 in Amman which killed at least 60 people including three Iraqi suicide bombers.

    Political analyst Muhammad Abu Rumman was quoted as saying, "Of all the neighboring countries, Jordan will benefit most from the news that Zarqawi is no longer active."

    "Iraq gave Zarqawi the perfect training and recruiting ground to export the jihad (holy war) here. Although he was based in Iraq, there is no doubt that his eyes were always fixed on his homeland," he added.

    Zarqawi was sentenced to death in absentia by a Jordanian military court three times.

    Analysts also agreed that the al-Qaida group in Iraq was now much more likely to focus on finding a new leader, which may lead to an internal power struggle, than staging massive attacks in Jordan, according to the report. Enditem