Monday October 22, 2012

I've Been Thinking:

Jordan prevented a huge terror attack. Eleven people, all members of an al Qaeda cell, have been arrested.

Jordanian media is clearly calling the suspects Islamic radicals and militants whose objective is to disrupt, destabilize and destroy Jordan. The terrorists were planning to attack Western diplomatic missions and Western style shopping malls and shopping areas in Jordan.

This is the same organization that perpetrated the horrific simultaneous attacks in November 2005 when they bombed three Western hotels, killing 60 people.

It seems clear that this time the group was trying to recreate the Benghazi attack in Libya in which they stormed the United States consulate killing US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other US embassy personnel.

According to official media, the now apprehended terrorists were planning to shoot rockets at the United States and British embassies in Jordan. The area around the embassies is full of foreigners and any of the buildings in the neighborhood would have made a good target.

At the same time another terrorists team was going to attack shopping centers housing Western stores and frequented by Western patrons. These are also stores where local Jordanians shop. Those locals are also targets of these terrorists because they are Jordanians who desire to assimilate into Western culture.

This arrest was an extremely important act. It both saved the lives of many people and kept the relationship between the West and Jordan very strong.

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