[JURIST] A military court in Jordan [JURIST news archive] found eight Islamic militants guilty Wednesday of plotting to attack Americans and Israelis in Jordan and of planning to kill US forces being trained in both Jordan and Iraq. The convicted eight, including three still at large, were reportedly part of Al-Taa'efa al-Mansourah [MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base, group profile], a group purported to have been formed in 2003 by ringleader Ahmad Shabaneh. Though prosecutors had demanded the death penalty, Shabaneh and the in absentia defendants each received 10-year jail sentences, while the remaining five defendants were sentenced to two to seven years. After the verdicts were read, the chained prisoners shouted at the judge, calling him an "enemy and a tyrant," as they had called for the "slaughter" of US forces at the start of their trial in March [AP report]. Aljazeera has more.

Last month, ten other suspected militants were sentenced by Jordanian military courts on similar charges [JURIST report] and each received 10- to 20-year jail terms. In November 2004, Jordan acquitted four defendants [JURIST report] also charged with terror plots against Americans and Jews in Jordan.