AMMAN, Aug 3 (AFP)- The Jordanian government has banned the import of the fertilizer urea in order to prevent its potential use as a chemical weapon, a newspaper reported here on Tuesday.
"The government has banned the trade and import of urea tablets, used in the production of fertilizers... out of fear they may be used in terrorist chemical attacks", said the Al-Ghad newspaper, quoting government guidelines on the use of dangerous chemicals.
Urea, the chief solid component of mammalian urine, is synthesized from ammonia and carbon dioxide. The government has ordered the urea tablets be replaced with the substance in its liquid form.
The trade of acids with concentration levels higher than 30 percent has also been banned, although the decision will not apply to factories, research centres, schools and universities, the report said.
Jordanian officials announced last April they had stopped a gang planning a devastating suicide attack on the headquarters of the country's intelligence services, using trucks loaded with 20 tonnes of chemicals.