‘Not Accurate’: Jordan Denies Reports of Ordering Deportation of Notorious Terrorist Ahlam Tamimi

Latest Developments

Parliament Speaker Denies Deportation Claims: Jordanian Parliament Speaker Ahmed al-Safadi denied February 2 reports that Jordan had demanded Hamas immediately transfer convicted terrorist and resident Ahlam Tamimi to a country outside the Hashemite Kingdom. The story originated with the London-based Qatari outlet Al-Araby al-Jadeed, which claimed on Sunday that “Jordanian authorities informed Hamas of the need to deport the prisoner Ahlam Tamimi” by nightfall. Safadi said the reports were “not accurate.”
Tamimi Complicit in Terror Attacks That Killed Americans: Ahlam Tamimi, a Palestinian and Jordanian citizen, played a key role in the 2001 Sbarro restaurant bombing in Jerusalem, scouting the location of the attack and transporting bomber Izz al-Din Shuheil al-Masri to the pizzeria, where he detonated a guitar case full of explosives. The attack killed 16 people, including two American citizens and seven children. Tamimi was convicted and given 16 life sentences in 2003 but only served eight years in Israeli prison before being released and deported to Jordan as part of an exchange deal to free Israeli hostage Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity in 2011.
Jordan’s Refusal to Comply With Extradition Agreement: The FBI placed Tamimi on its list of “Most Wanted” terrorists in 2013 for her involvement in the murder of American citizens. She was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with “conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against U.S. nationals outside the U.S., resulting in death,” and the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to her arrest through its Rewards for Justice program. The United States has since continued to seek Tamimi’s extradition from Jordan, which the Hashemite Kingdom has continuously denied despite its obligations under an extradition treaty signed between the two nations in 1995.

FDD Expert Response

“Deporting the terrorist Ahlam Tamimi has always been problematic for Jordan. The Hashemite Kingdom has a sizeable pro-Palestinian population that supports her past violence. Thus, any action to deport her will undoubtedly give leverage to Hamas, Iran, and their allies to fuel unrest in the kingdom, a scenario that Jordan is keen on avoiding.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“Over the past 16 months, the Gaza war has heightened tensions in Jordan, fueling calls to annul the 1994 peace treaty with Israel and sever ties with Jerusalem. Jordan’s denial of Ahlam Tamimi’s extradition seems aimed at avoiding public backlash due to the issue’s sensitivity.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

“Amman has already declared that it does not believe its extradition treaty with the United States is in force, so reports of her imminent extradition should be treated with caution. Jordan has had over a decade to relinquish this terrorist with American blood on her hands. Amman holds onto Tamimi at the risk of jeopardizing the billions in aid it receives from the United States and the important relationship it enjoys with Washington.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst