Jordan played a key role in thwarting terrorist attacks on two hotels in the Jordanian resort town of Petra, allegedly timed to coincide with the September assaults on the United States, sources told CNN.
Three men allegedly involved in the plot were apprehended following the interception of a phone call, placed a few days before the September 11 attacks, according to sources close to Jordanian intelligence. The call included the phrase "big wedding," Al Qaeda code to launch an attack, said the report.
The three men, according to coalition intelligence sources, told authorities about the plot against Jordan after they were arrested.
The call came from Afghanistan and was placed to a suspected Al Qaeda cell in Jordan. The information was passed onto Western intelligence sources.
CNN said it has learned that close intelligence cooperation between the United States and Jordan dates to 1989 when the late King Hussein warned US leaders about the emergence of a network in Afghanistan headed by bin Laden.
Jordan and the US say that with the help of Jordanian security apparatus, terrorist attacks allegedly planned by Al Qaeda on celebrators of the new millennium New Year eve were stopped.
Jordanian intelligence have also helped thwart attacks on Arab embassies in Beirut, said previous reports.
AFP has reported that Al Qaeda had planned to assassinate Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Jordan has tried 28 allged members of Al Qaeda in Jordan and convicted them of planning terrorist attacks and belonging to an illegal organization – Albawaba.com
