The bars are filled with tattooed ex-soldiers, young former officers and eastern European prostitutes. The men talk of the Iraq where they work for private security firms, and the women try to offer them an expensive escape.
Amman has become the service center for Western efforts to pacify and rebuild Iraq and Jordan's once faltering economy is booming to the point of overheating.
While many hotel guests are Jordanians, a large proportion are journalists, diplomats, soldiers, security guards and others who work in Iraq but use Amman as a base.
While most of the victims of Wednesday's suicide bombings were Jordanians, mainly at a wedding celebration, large numbers of Europeans and Americans were close to the explosion at the Grand Hyatt hotel. An al-Qaeda statement posted on the internet described the three hotels that were attacked as "filthy entertainment centers for the traitors and apostates of the umma [the Muslim world] and a safe haven for the infidel intelligence services."
The decision of King Abdullah II to support the war in Iraq and the continued US presence there has led to many economic benefits but it has placed the country squarely in the enemy camp in the eyes of Islamic fundamentalists and particularly Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born al-Qaeda leader.
The presence in Jordan of US special forces troops, employees of private security companies and western contractors for recuperation has made it an attractive target for militants fighting in Iraq.
Jordan has a porous border with Iraq, which is mostly uninhabited desert, and there is a large amount of traffic between the countries.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering £100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for £100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple