On Recent Embassy Closures in Jordan

Recently Australia and Canada have closed their embassies in Amman Jordan following suit with Britainâ??s’ decision earlier this week.

The Australian embassy has released a statement saying: “Reports suggest terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks against Westerners and places frequented by Westerners in Jordan,”

Sources say that neither one of these embassies received any threats. So what’s going on? Where are they getting their information from?

What is upsetting me is that this is making headlines and will result in damaging Jordan’s reputation further. It will drive down foreign investment and tourism.

What is also upsetting is that by closing down their embassies they are abandoning Jordan and their confidence in it’s security. Granted that they should seek to protect their respective embassies and employees however these places are not exactly hotels or even public markets. In Jordan these embassies are literally surrounded with security forces. Especially the Israeli, Australian, Canadian, British and American ones. The latter two are practically military forts; soldiers and tanks surround them, police cars are hidden in the narrow streets in the neighborhoods with constant patrols. The secret police are all over there with civilian cars and clothes; they flash their headlights if you even stop your car near the British embassy. Not to mention the stone barricades, spiked chains and speed bumps. I mean you cannot flash one of those laser pointers in your own home without getting a knock on the door. Of course there are no pictures I can show you because a simple flash will probably result in imprisonment and interrogation, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

To close your embassy is to say you have no faith in this security and it is a shame that the nations Jordan is most friendly with can abandon it on a moment’s notice.

Khalaf has an interesting perspective on these closures stating:

Now, the attitude to the Brits here is quite hypocritical, in addition to being cowardly. It’s OK for Jordan to risk its people in order to send a message, and “not cave in to terrorism”, but when the shoe is on the other foot, this is a different story.

In other words, while Jordanians risk their lives in the name of “democracy” over in Iraq, DESPITE the fact that one of our embassy drivers over there is now kidnapped and is being threatened with death if Jordan does not give up a terrorist, the UK (a coalition member) has easily closed its embassy.

A part of me wishes all these embassies were closed and remained closed. If you have no faith in Jordan then why should Jordan place all its faith in you?

However reality dictates otherwise.