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Jordan to Allow Limited Stationing of U.S. Troops
Edited for length...Jordan has decided to allow the discreet stationing of U.S. troops to man air defenses, the launch of search-and-rescue missions from its airfields and the passage of allied planes across its airspace in any war with neighboring Iraq. The Jordanian willingness to cooperate marks a dramatic reversal of the neutrality proclaimed by the late King Hussein in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. It could prove important to any U.S. attack if it means warplanes could overfly Jordan from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea on the way to bombing runs over Iraq. Jordanian officials have said no invasion can originate from Jordan, which borders western Iraq. But in interviews, they said all assistance would be provided short of "the apparent physical presence of troops." "Definitely, we will be helpful," said a senior Jordanian official. "But we cannot say bring 10,000 troops and march from Jordan to Iraq. That could be disastrous, and the Americans appreciate this." The tacit agreement culminates a growth in U.S.-Jordanian military cooperation, buttressed by increases in military aid, joint training and personal contacts. Those relationships are underpinned by King Abdullah, a former soldier who, according to officials, made a decision in August after visiting Washington not to repeat his father's decision, one widely denounced in the United States then as a tilt toward Iraq. At the time, Jordan was overwhelmingly dependent on Iraq for trade and oil. Popular sympathies rested with Iraq and its president, Saddam Hussein. While Jordan today is less dependent on Iraq economically, the kingdom still imports all its oil from Iraq -- half of it free, half of it subsidized -- and the mood remains distinctly in Iraq's corner even if sympathy for Hussein is markedly less pronounced. But most Arab governments are loath to alienate the United States, despite almost universal opposition to a war and popular resentment of U.S. policy in the Middle East. Another senior official acknowledged that the country is "walking a tightrope," but he and others made clear they would risk some backlash in pursuit of closer ties with the United States. "The Jordanians, with the alliance, have put themselves in a position where they basically have no other choice," said Mustafa Hamarneh, director of the Center for Strategic Studies in Amman, the Jordanian capital. A senior Jordanian official said his country expects the United States to deliver two, and possibly three, Patriot antimissile batteries to defend against any Iraqi attack. A foreign diplomat said hundreds of U.S. troops would be needed to run them. The government's fears, made public over the past week, seem to stem from a sense of vulnerability left from 1991. Of the 39 Scud missiles that Iraq fired at Israel then, the U.S. military believes eight fell in remote regions of Jordan. But to protect Amman against an attack or an errant missile, the government must place the batteries to the east of the city, making the presence of U.S. troops "relatively visible," a diplomat said. Diplomats and officials said they doubted Jordan would officially acknowledge granting U.S. forces permission to fly over Jordanian territory. Officials said, however, that they would permit a military hospital and search-and-rescue missions in eastern Jordan, where the country's border with Iraq runs through desert. "I don't think it's difficult to conceal," a diplomat said. "We're talking about a small footprint." Search-and-rescue missions would require the presence of U.S. Special Forces troops, along with helicopters and planes. One Jordanian official would not say whether the units' responsibilities could be broadened to include missions inside western Iraq. But he did not rule it out. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "Special Forces, what Special Forces? Those are rescue workers, very heavily armed rescue workers." A diplomat said the number of such troops could be kept in the dozens. About the size of a couple of A teams. The United States has told Israel that, at the start of any war with Iraq, it would deploy Special Operations forces in western Iraq to destroy facilities that could be used to launch Scud missiles, U.S. and Israeli officials have said. Last October, more than 1,000 U.S. Special Operations troops trained in Jordan with troops from Jordan, Oman, Kuwait and Britain. The exercise, called Early Victor, focused on covert missions such as operating behind enemy lines. Just a training exercise, doesn't mean a thing. Heh heh. Posted by: Steve 2003-01-30 |
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