During the War of Attrition, Ibn Shaker was stationed on the border between Israel and Jordan. Although he was opposed to Palestinian activities against Israel, he was also opposed to Israeli attacks on Jordanian soil. On March 20, 1968, while gazing out at the Israeli side, he noticed the oncoming attack. "They were massing their forces," he would later say, "and not even bothering to hide their attack." He went to Karameh and inspected the Palestinian positions there. Assured that they were prepared, he went back to Amman to attend the birthday party of Crown Prince Hassan ibn Talal, the king's brother. During the party, Hussein took Ibn Shaker aside and said, "You should leave early and try to get some sleep. The attack will probably happen tomorrow." Sure enough, at 5:00 A.M., Hussein was told that the Israelis were crossing the river into Jordanian territory. He telephoned his officers, Ibn Shakir among them, and said, "The fun has started."
