(Reuters) Suleiman al-Khalidi - A Muslim cleric who molded the militant Islamic views of al-Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, sworn foe of U.S. forces in Iraq, has been freed from prison in Jordan, Islamist and security sources said Monday. Issam al-Barqawi, better known as Sheikh Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, 43, was released on June 28 after a six-month detention following his acquittal at a trial of Jordanian and Saudi sympathizers of al-Qaeda. "Maqdisi now has an ability to move more freely and reach out to his followers. This could pose a security risk and galvanize fundamentalists, especially since Zarqawi remains at large," said one official. Both Maqdisi and Zarqawi were freed by the Jordanians in 1999 under a general amnesty issued by King Abdullah.
2005-07-05 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive