Britain closes embassy in Jordan, fears attacks

AMMAN (Reuters) – Britain closed its embassy in Jordan on
Saturday because of fears of attacks on Westerners there, the
Foreign Office said.

The move comes two months after triple suicide bomb attacks
on luxury hotels in Amman killed more than 50 people. Al Qaeda
in Iraq, led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed
responsibility.

Last August, Syrian militants linked to Zarqawi were
accused by Jordan of being behind a failed rocket attack on
U.S. warships in the Red Sea port of Aqaba.

Officials say Islamist militants are seeking to destabilize
Jordan because of its pro-western stance. Britain is a prime
target for its support for the U.S-led invasion of Iraq in
2003.

“Terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks
against Westerners and places frequented by Westerners,” the
British Foreign Office Web site said.

“The British Embassy in Amman will be closed until further
notice due to the security situation.”

A spokesman at the Foreign Office said its advice to
British travellers to Jordan remained unchanged, but there was
sufficient reason to close the mission temporarily.

“We can’t comment on any intelligence we may have or the
specific nature of the threat,” he said.

The travel advice to Britons going to Jordan is to take
precautions to ensure their personal safety and be aware there
could be developments that may affect the security situation.

Visitors are warned to take extra care when using Jordanian
taxis to go to neighboring countries.

About 51,000 British nationals visited Jordan in 2004,
mainly as tourists, and most visits were trouble-free.