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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Jordan may face al-Qaeda insurgency |
| 2005-11-22 |
| Pro-Western Jordan, spared major al Qaeda violence before this month's suicide bombings, risks copycat attacks by homegrown Islamist militants inspired by the insurgency in Iraq, security sources and analysts say. But Jordan might now experience a violent homegrown campaign like one launched in Saudi Arabi by local al Qaeda supporters after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the sources fear. "These attacks could encourage some militant radicals — despite the wide popular condemnation and outrage — to do something similar in Jordan," said Mohammad Najjar, a political analyst who tracks Islamist radical groups. Jordanian authorities say their vigilance has foiled many militant plots to bomb well-protected embassies and tourist sites. But one security official, who asked not to be named, said he feared militants might now switch to easier targets. "These soft targets could be more potent now in their eyes than the traditional ones," he said, arguing that the militants were not deterred by popular outrage over attacks on civilians. "They have declared open-ended war and inflicting revenge on the state, so boundaries between civilian and military targets no longer mean much for them," the official added. He said the authorities had detained several hundred Jordanian Islamists in recent months for plotting attacks at home, far more than in previous years. The official said their aim was to destabilize Jordan because of the monarchy's pro-Western stance. Previously, most militants had been seized returning from Iraq or trying to go there to join the anti-U.S. insurgency. That traffic has thinned, security sources say, though it is not clear whether this is because of tighter border security or because more Iraqis have joined Zarqawi's group, taking command positions once held by Jordanians or other Arab fighters. If Jordanian militants cannot reach Iraq, that has not dimmed their zeal, the sources say, with many collecting donations for Zarqawi and looking to him for inspiration even if they do not have organizational links with al Qaeda. "The Jordanian cells are scattered and fragmented but the common denominator is that they are inspired by Zarqawi's tactics," one security source said. A Jordanian official, who asked not to be named, said local militants identified with fighters across the border. "They believe if they cannot reach that target they can reach another in Jordan as an extension of the jihad (holy war) in Iraq." Fears that instability is spilling over Iraq's borders were heightened last month when Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabor said documents found with a slain Iraqi lieutenant of Zarqawi showed a plan to send Arab militants home to widen the struggle. There was no way to verify his statement. While anger over Iraq is one factor fuelling Sunni militancy in Jordan, economic hardship is another — often made harder to bear by the ostentatious lifestyle of the wealthy few. "When there is poverty and despair this helps in recruiting these young people," said Adnan Abu Odeh, a former adviser to the Jordanian royal family. "The poor go to mosques as an escape from this situation and then they are recruited." Such radicalized youngsters often come from impoverished cities such as Irbid and Zarqa, home town of Zarqawi. A few are trained in Lebanon or Syria. Others have become battle-hardened in Iraq, the Jordanian security source said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #8 Kerry was a loser in '04 and he is a loser in '08. Shipman, the machine don't run so good. Ima thinkin Hildebeast is going to run. McCain or Rudy for the Republicans. |
| Posted by: Glemp Flineper4549 2005-11-22 21:02 |
| #7 So who do you like in Iowa in '08. I hear Kerry still has his machine. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-22 18:01 |
| #6 Jordanians who matter would like nothing better than an excuse to deal with self-proclaimed "Palestinians," who use Jordanian citizenship as a means to confront the West. Given the end of the Iraq hearts-and-minds folly (it did work in Vietnam), carpet bombing al-Qaeda strongholds in Jordan, is sellable. We didn't give a rat's ass for the 200,000 Japs that we torched in one Tokyo night, not to mention Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Arab fanatics rate about 10 degrees lower on my human annoyance scale than Japs, Nazis and Commies ever did. Banzai!!! |
| Posted by: FarkiFazo 2005-11-22 16:13 |
| #5 I guess everything is relative Gotta assume so in that region. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-11-22 15:52 |
| #4 Being King is nice. Off with their heads still works pretty well. The Paleos stay in line in Jordanm now. My fellow amateur radio operator the late King did show them he would not put up with their bullshit. The results are proof. I hope his son is also inclined to resort with the same quick and strong measures. |
| Posted by: Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu 2005-11-22 15:00 |
| #3 While anger over Iraq is one factor fuelling Sunni militancy in Jordan, economic hardship is another — often made harder to bear by the ostentatious lifestyle of the wealthy few. And the fact that the People are Palestinians (or, rather, "Palestinians" are Jordanians) whereas the ruling class are Hashemites (and allied tribes) imported by the Brits from (at present) Saudi Arabia, has nothing to do with it? |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-11-22 14:56 |
| #2 Pro-Western Jordan, spared major al Qaeda violence before this month's suicide bombings. I guess everything is relative. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-11-22 14:52 |
| #1 But Jordan might now experience a violent homegrown campaign like one launched in Saudi Arabi by local al Qaeda supporters after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, the sources fear. I wouldn't count on it. The current ruler's father lowered the boom on Arafart and his cohorts when the time came, and there's no reason to believe that the current ruler wouldn't do the same thing if his authority were threatened. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-11-22 12:51 |