By Khalid Amayreh in occupied Palestine

I am not particularly infatuated with the Jordanian regime. And interfering in the internal affairs of Jordan is none of my concerns. However, no Palestinian, or Jordanian or Arab for that matter can be indifferent to the stability and security of Jordan.

Last week, it was reported that the Jordanian security apparatus arrested an Iraqi citizen who had in his possession a large amount of explosives. The suspect reportedly confessed to have been working for the Iranian regime or one of its numerous external tentacles. I don’t have all the details pertaining to the arrest. However, the mere apprehension of the suspect and the discovery of the explosives hidden at a village north of Amman is more than sufficient to raise the sound alarm in every Jordanian home.

This is because it is paramount that Jordan gives no chance to terror, especially sectarian-motivated terror coming from Syria where the Iranian-backed regime of Bashar El Assad has been waging a real holocaust against the Syrian people.

Let no one say that the word "holocaust" is too big or an exaggeration when used to describe the Syrian situation. The mass murder of hundreds of thousands of Syrians, including tens of thousands of children, along with the wounding and maiming of a million people, is not exactly a street altercation. This is not to mention the utter destruction of two million homes which forced more than 13 million Syrians to leave their homes, with about one million seeking refuge in Jordan.

We simply don't want to see any of this happen in Jordan, our dear sister- country. We don't want to see cars laden with explosives explode in the streets of Amman and Irbed and Zarqa.

Such bombing would likely be blamed on shadowy terror groups such as IS when the masterminds are well-known regional groups. We all remember Bashar El-Assad, the Hitler of Damascus, threatened to set the entire region on fire if his regime is put at risk. The matter is too serious, the enemy is crystal clear.

Keep an Eye on local Syrian Ba'athists

The Jordanian authorities should also keep a watchful eye on the Baathists who are effectively at the Assad regime's beck and call.

We all know that these criminals have enthusiastically backed the genocidal massacres carried out by the Nazi-like Alawite regime in Damascus against the Syrian people, especially the majority-Sunni Muslim population.

I really hate sectarian divisions in Syria, but the regime has left us no choice but to consider the Syrian holocaust a sectarian genocide par excellence.

Jordan should also remember what the Baathists did and tried to do in Jordan in the mid-1950s and first half of 1960s including the murder of Prime Minister Hazza' al Majali and the attempted poisoning of the late King Hussein

The pro-Assad Baathis are the ultimate fifth column in Jordan. They are not innocent until proven guilty as one might be prompted to argue. They are rather guilty until proven innocent.

Jordanian vigilance

The vigilance and competence of the Jordanian security forces do give us some assurances that the Jordanian arena will not be a theater for wanton terror

But nothing can be taken for granted. The enemy is too nefarious and too morally depraved and could embark on the unthinkable. In the final analysis, a regime that doesn't hesitate to exterminate its own people with poisonous chemical agents and by dropping crude barrel bombs on civilian homes and crowded streets will not spare Jordan and the Jordanians. We are really talking about a despicable regime that would stop at nothing.

This is why the Jordanian government should enlist every Jordanian citizen to be on the guard against the dark forces of terror and evil. In short all Jordanians and Palestinians living in Jordan, each in his or her own position, must be a soldier for the security and stability of the country.

In the context of this endeavor, even the slightest suspicion should be informed on to the security authorities. No room ought to be allowed for negligence, incompetence or mediocre performance.

Finally, the Jordanian government should also strive to reach the highest level possible of national unity at the home front. And in this particular context, the government is advised to reach a speedy reconciliation with the largest political force in the country, namely the Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

Needless to say, the MB has hundreds of thousands of followers and sympathizers in every part of the country who can make a difference in cornering, containing and eventually defeating the forces of terror.

Will the Jordanian regime be sensible enough and wise enough to embark on this step or will it continue to be held hostage by parochial and self-defeating political considerations?

Khalid Amayreh is a veteran journalist and current affairs commentator living in Occupied Jerusalem

Source: the Palestinian Information Center

http://english.palinfo.com/site/pages/details.aspx?itemid=72515

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Khalid Amayreh is a veteran Palestinian journalist and current affairs commentator living in the West Bank

http://english.palinfo.com/site/pages/details.aspx?itemid=72515