Australia, Canada Shut Embassies in Jordan Amid Terror Concern

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Australia and Canada closed their embassies in the Jordanian capital Amman today until further notice, a day after the U.K. shut its embassy there on concern about future terrorist attacks in the country.

The Australian embassy in Amman left a recorded message on its telephone saying it would be closed due to ``the security situation.'' The Canadian embassy left a voice message saying it was closed until further notice, without citing a reason.

``Terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks against Westerners and places frequented by Westerners,'' the U.K.'s Foreign Office said yesterday when announcing the closure of the British Embassy in the Jordanian capital.

Three suicide bombers on Nov. 9 killed 60 people and injured almost 100 in hotels in Amman, the U.K. statement said. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born leader of the al- Qaeda in Iraq group, said in a statement on the Internet his followers carried out the attacks.

Canada's foreign affairs office said in a travel advisory on its Web site, updated today, that ``travellers should exercise caution'' as Jordan remains susceptible to ``international terrorism.''