How Jordan handled fuming crisis over cigarettes
Residents of the border city of Ramtha in the north of Jordan have protested recently against new government measures to curb smuggling, which would further add to their economic burdens.
AMMAN, Jordan — Precarious calm reigned over the city of Ramtha, 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Amman, after three days of riots during which security officers were shot at.
The riots came in response to a Cabinet decision Aug. 23 to limit the number of cigarettes that travelers are allowed to carry through the Jaber crossing that connects Jordan and Syria, in an attempt by the government to make up for its losses from smuggled cigarettes.
