| Terrorism and civil disorder are about as common in Jordan as they are in Western countries that is, extremely rare. In spring 1998 for example, while the world prepared to go to war with Saddam, and clashes on the West Bank grew more violent, and Egypt tried to pick up the pieces after the tourist massacre in Luxor, life in Jordan, [sandwiched between the three, continued entirely as normal -except that the usual tide of Western tourists was down to a trickle as group is cancellations poured in daily. In sharp contrast to Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, France, Spain or ~ the UK, no violently active group exists that holds any grievances against Jordan, its people, government or tourism policy, and the political and religious make-up of Jordanian society -as well - as the invisible grip of the security services -makes domestic terrorism unlikely. Nonetheless, super-aware both of the extremist attacks on tourists in Egypt, and of the tensions in Israel and Palestine that occasionally sweep innocent bystanders up in their violence, Jordan maintains forces of protective armed police in high-profile evidence at all major tourist sites .If you're staying in the country longer than a month or so, you might like to register your presence with your embassy in Amman every one keeps a list of its nationals resident in the country. These precautions notwithstanding, though, and regardless of the Impression journalists might like to give, you'd be no safer sitting on your own front doorstep than traveling in Jordan. |
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