January 9, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 8, 1426

AMMAN, Jan 8: Three Western embassies were closed in Jordan for security reasons, after a new threat of attacks on Western targets in the kingdom. The Canadian and Australian embassies on Sunday followed Britain in announcing the closure of their missions in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

The move comes two months after bomb attacks claimed by Al Qaeda against three luxury hotels in Amman that killed 60 people plus three bombers and wounded about 100 more.

Australia warned travellers in a statement of the threat of new attacks on Western targets in the kingdom, a key US ally regarded as one of the most stable countries in the volatile Middle East.

“Reports suggest terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks against Westerners and places frequented by Westerners in Jordan,” the embassy said.

“The Australian embassy in Jordan will be closed until further notice due to the security situation.”

An official from the Canadian embassy in Jordan told AFP that its embassy would remain closed “until further notice” due to security reasons.

Sources close to the embassies said the British mission had received a threatening e-mail on its Internet site that it had handed to the Jordanian authorities.

No direct threats were received by the Australian or Canadian embassies, the sources said.

Jordanian government spokesman Nasser Jawdeh told AFP on Sunday that the kingdom “is confident in the capacities of its security services which have studied the threat and evaluated it”.

And he reiterated the government’s position voiced initially after the British announcement.

“The security services believe that that does not necessitate the closure of embassies, nevertheless we take any threat seriously and that’s why we have reinforced security around these embassies,” he said.

The November 9 attacks were claimed by the Al Qaeda in Iraq group of Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al Zarqawi, who has threatened new attacks on his homeland.

In August, a Jordanian soldier was killed in a rocket attack in the southern port city of Aqaba, also claimed by Zarqawi’s group.

He already faces a death sentence in Jordan over the 2002 murder of a US diplomat and is the most wanted man in Iraq, where there is a 25-million-dollar US bounty for his death or capture.

Jordan’s state security court on Dec 18 handed him a second death penalty in absentia for planning to blow up a border crossing with Iraq.

The Australian embassy referred to a statement by Zarqawi, saying he had suggested Al Qaeda’s targets in Jordan might include a number of places frequented by foreigners, including tourist hotels, embassies and consulates.

Zarqawi, in an audiotape attributed to him and posted on the Internet in November, warned of more attacks if Amman did not meet his demands.

The voice on the tape demanded the departure of British and US troops, the closure of the US and Israeli embassies, and an end to training in Jordan for Iraq’s fledgling security forces.

A Canadian foreign ministry travel advisory, dated Saturday, said the Jordanian government maintained security measures that make it difficult for extremist groups to operate.

However it added that travellers should exercise caution.

The British embassy in Jordan announced on Saturday it would remain closed until further notice and warned of the threat of new attacks on Western targets in the kingdom.

Zarqawi, once described as a thug by King Abdullah II, was released from jail in 1999 as part of a royal pardon when he took office after the death of his father King Hussein.—AFP