More than 75 per cent of Jordanians believe Arab countries will be the next targets in the US anti-terror campaign. Ninety one per cent said 11 Palestinian groups, such as Hamas, the Popular Front and the Lebanese Hizbullah should not be on the US list of terrorist groups.
Eighty-eight per cent of Jordanians considered Israeli pressure to be behind the addition of these groups early this month to a short-list of six drawn up at the end of September. More than 77 per cent said these organisations did not pose any threat to the US. Fifty-three per cent believe Arab governments run the risk of a popular backlash if they co-operate with an US-inspired crack-down on Arab groups on the list.
As soon as Washington started its campaign against terrorism, virtually all Arab governments warned they would not support operations against Arab states. Saudi Arabia said it would back any Arab country which is attacked. Nevertheless, high- ranking US officials continue to suggest that Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Libya could be targeted.
On Monday the US Defence Secretary, Mr Donald Rumsfeld, accused Iraq of interacting with al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups. And Mr John Bolton, the US undersecretary for arms control and international security, said the existence of an offensive germ warfare programme in Iraq is "beyond dispute" and Washington believes that Syria, Libya, Iran and Sudan are developing such weapons.
