World Scene

JORDAN

Militants describe chemical attack plot

AMMAN — Jordanian state television yesterday aired what it said were confessions by militants tied to al Qaeda who said they had planned chemical attacks that could have killed thousands of people.

The captured militants, who included Syrians, said they were ordered by Abu Musab Zarqawi, accused by Washington of being a top al Qaeda supporter, to attack targets that included the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy.

The Jordanian report said at least 80,000 people would have been killed by toxic fumes spreading over a radius of more than three miles if the plot had succeeded.

ISRAEL

Military identifies new Hamas leader

JERUSALEM — Military officials said yesterday they think Mahmoud Zahar, a surgeon and prominent Hamas hard-liner, is the new leader of the Islamic militant group in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, told the Yediot Ahronot daily that Dr. Zahar had inherited the post “automatically” and reluctantly accepted. Gen. Yaalon also signaled that Israel would avoid attacking Dr. Zahar as long as Hamas remains quiet.

Hamas denied the Israeli claims regarding Dr. Zahar, calling it a ploy to get information about the group’s murky leadership.

NICARAGUA

Cold War missiles will be destroyed

MANAGUA — Nicaragua will destroy 350 surface-to-air missiles it obtained from the Soviet Union in the 1980s, partially bowing to U.S. demands to scrap its missile stockpile, newspapers said yesterday.

The SAM-7 missiles, which are among some 2,000 surface-to-air weapons held by Nicaragua, probably will be put out of commission in May.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell called on the Central American nation during a visit last year to get rid of all of the shoulder-fired missiles.