Suicide bomber suspended for the season

Al Qaeda announced on Monday that the Iraqi woman in Jordanian custody has been suspended for four suicide missions and will not participate in any suicide missions this season.

Al Qaeda's second in command Ayman al-Zawahri announced the group's decision in a taped message.

"al-Rishawi has been suspended by the group for four suicide missions for confessing to Jordanian authorities, and she will not be returning for any suicide missions even after the conclusion of that suspension" al-Zawahri said.

The latest action comes after al-Rishawi controversially confessed on Jordanian television about her involvement in the recent bomb attacks at 3 American owned hotels in Amman.

During the televised confession, al-Rishawi stood up to display the belt that she had planned to use in the attack. Al Qaeda claims that such display without detonating the bomb was against the group's policies, and also showed the group in bad light.

al-Rishawi, who was married to her agent, Hussein Ali al-Shamari, was previously banned for five missions for failing to show up at the boot camp to train for the bombing missions. However her agent-husband was able to strike a deal and reduce the ban to just three missions.

The Rev. Tesse Tackson called the Al Qaeda's punishment of al-Risawi "much to severe". The civil rights activist said the level of punishment could have been warranted if al-Risawi had been caught sleeping with the enemy, talking about peace, or caring for innocent civilians without sufficient cause.