| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| US soldiers ’are using Jordan to enter Iraq’ |
| 2003-03-27 |
| Al-Independent, so a grain of salt is appropriate: This dusty, impoverished corner of Jordan is making the country's authorities nervous. For one thing, there is the protest against the war in Iraq that the people of Maan plan to hold today – a protest they call the "march of the coffins". Then there is the military base at Jafr, 50 miles away in the desert, where locals say they have seen hundreds of US soldiers arrive in the last few months, plus trucks carrying tanks and armoured vehicles. Hope this is right, but these folks seem to have paranoid imaginations. Salfa abu Tayi – the grand-daughter of Auda abu Tayi, the Bedouin fighter of Lawrence of Arabia fame – says she has seen US soldiers at the base, and tanks covered with canvas. It is an open secret that small teams of US, and possibly British, special forces are operating in western Iraq out of Jordan. Out at the Jafr military base, Blackhawk helicopters could be seen flying in – confirming one part of her story. It was not possible to confirm any more before Jordanian security arrived to say the road was closed. The Jordanian government has admitted there are 6,000 US troops here, but says they are only here to protect Jordan from Iraqi missile attack and train Jordanian troops. All true. Hope there's more. Sheikh Mohamid is the head of a committee formed several years ago because of perceived government injustices towards Maan. He says: "The government of Jordan made a shameful decision to participate in this war by allowing these troops to go to Iraq." He also claims he saw tanks being driven to Jafr on trucks. And he names Jordanian companies contracted to provide facilities for US soldiers at the base. The protest is called "the march of the coffins", he says, because "this is a message that we are ready to die, to condemn the government". Maybe he can get on one of those busses heading east. |
| Posted by:JAB |
| #1 If true, could this be TF Ironhorse? |
| Posted by: Dave 2003-03-27 21:03:55 |