AMMAN — Jordan is cracking down on the large Iraqi emigrant
community in wake of Al Qaida suicide attacks last week.
Officials said more than 120 people have been arrested since the triple
suicide strikes in luxury hotels in Amman on Nov. 9. They said most of the
detainees were Iraqis — including suspected supporters of Al Qaida network
chief Abu Mussib Al Zarqawi — who came to Jordan over the last five years.
"There are only two logistical places that they [attackers] could have
come across — either the Iraqi or the Syrian borders," Jordan's King
Abdullah said.
Jordan was said to have 400,000 Iraqis. Many of them left Iraq for
Jordan during the Saddam Hussein regime, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We have been very successful in taking down his [Al Zarqawi] operations
in the past [when] he used Jordanians," the king told CNN television. "Now
he has changed tactics. He is using foreigners. That means that our security
services have to change tactics, too."
The crackdown has also included Jordanians believed linked to Al Qaida
or the Islamic opposition. Officials said the arrests took place in several
parts of Jordan as authorities braced for additional attacks.
"The threat still exists and we are meeting non-stop to determine
potential targets and implement required protection," Maj. Gen. Mohammad
Eitan, director-general of public security, told Jordan television.
Al Zarqawi has taken responsibility for the attack, in which 57 people
were killed and 97 injured. In a statement, the Al Qaida network chief said
the suicide strikers were Iraqis.
"All of these are Iraqis from the land between the two rivers," Al Qaida
said, referring to Iraq. "They vowed to die and they chose the shortest
route to receive the blessings of God."
The statement, signed by Al Qaida spokesman Abu Maysara Al Iraqi, said
four Iraqis carried out the suicide strikes. They said two of them were a
man and his wife.
Since the Al Qaida strikes, several Middle East countries have increased
security. They included Egypt and Kuwait, and Cairo has increased security
along the ferry route from Jordan's Aqaba to Egypt's Nueiba.
Jordanian authorities said the suicide attacks were carried out by three
males who detonated suicide belts that contained TNT and ball-bearings. The
TNT was said to have been produced outside of Jordan.
"The conclusion has arrived," Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Marwan
Muasher said. "Al Qaida is behind the attacks and specifically Abu Mussib Al
Zarqawi's people."
Muasher told a news conference on Saturday that all of the suicide
bombers were non-Jordanians. He did not elaborate.
At least 12 foreigners were killed in the attacks. They were said to
have comprised four Palestinians, three Chinese military officers, three
Americans, a Bahraini and an Israeli.
Officials said authorities have imported metal detectors for
installation in hotels, banks and government and non-governmental
institutions. They said the detectors would be installed this week.
"The metal detectors are already in the airport and should be placed in
hotels within the next two days," Muasher told the Jordan Times. "We have
ordered more machines to cover other major institutions."
