Amman, Jordan – A military court Wednesday rejected a request for President Bush to testify in the trial of three suspected Islamic militants accused of plotting to assassinate him during a visit to Jordan last year.
Defense attorney Abdel Karim Sharaydeh said he thought all along that his request for Bush’s testimony was futile.
“I just wanted to draw to the attention of the Jordanian public opinion and media that this case is fabricated and the charges void,” he said.
The White House declined to comment on the case.
Police arrested defendants Nidhal Musleh al-Momani, Sattam al-Zawahrah and Tharwat Daraj on Nov. 28, a day before Bush’s arrival in Amman. The prosecution says the three alleged Islamic militants were found with large plastic bottles filled with gasoline meant to be used for bombs.
The suspects intended to attack the U.S. embassy in Amman and kill both the president and the ambassador, the prosecution said. Their lawyer says the charges are trumped up and defendants and witnesses were tortured.
