Ammon News - By Tamer al-Samadi/ Al-Hayat

Jordanian officials confirmed to Al-Hayat that their country was “forcibly” placed in the heart of the Syrian storm, due to the US decision to support the Syrian opposition forces and provide them with weapons.

They stated that the kingdom is heavily indebted, dependent on foreign aid, and suffers from political protests with demands — albeit less [strongly] than what was seen in the neighboring countries during the Arab Spring uprisings. They added that Jordan may find itself “in the middle of a heated war, fueled by major regional countries” in the coming period.

Amman will probably find itself as an essential regional junction and vital access point to deliver US weapons to “moderate” rebels. This is after having hosted the largest military exercises in more than two decades involving US and multinational forces, [conducted] 120 kilometers [75 miles] from the Jordanian-Syrian border just days ago.

King Abdullah II of Jordan, who started a visit to Britain focusing on Syria yesterday [June 18], vowed to protect Jordan and its people’s interests by all means, as he said in recent remarks on the Syrian situation. He said that the Syrian crisis “imposed very hard circumstances [on Jordan]. Should the world not act and help us adequately address this issue, or should this issue become a threat to our country, then we are capable of taking the necessary measures to protect our country and people's interests at any moment.”

The king's remarks coincided with the decision to keep US Patriot missile interceptors and F-16 fighter jets in Jordan. US officials did not specify the number of fighter jets or missile interceptors, or where they would be placed in Jordanian territory.

Al-Hayat asked government spokesman Mohammed Mumuni about this information. He replied that the government “cannot reveal secret military matters.” This comes as the Jordanian military imposes the highest state of emergency among its ranks in the past two days, especially within the
military sectors of the Jordanian Northern Command, neighboring Syria.

Government aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Al-Hayat that the military “undertook intensified patrolling on the (370 km long) [230-mile] Syrian-Jordanian border, has imposed the highest state of emergency, and has largely limited leaves of officers and members.” They added that the military and security institutions “presented new military plans to develop defense capabilities and oppose any potential threats.”

Other sources told Al-Hayat that there is a sharp division within Jordan’s decision-making circles over handling the developments of the Syrian file. Some believe that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad succeeded in weakening the opposition forces — which seemed to have collapsed recently — and that Jordan needs to deal with this new reality by restoring the lines of communication with Damascus.

Yet others feel that Jordan needs to continue to seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would lead to a smooth transition of power, and that it should comply with international and regional resolutions, particularly American decisions, regardless of how tough they are.

Maher Abu Teir, a political commentator close to decision-making circles, told Al-Hayat that the Jordanian monarch “willfully put on a military uniform during his speech, and addressed a group of military leaders and members on a ground that witnessed a historical battle (the battle of Mut’ah), or else he would have given his speech in the capital, Amman.”

Mohammad Abu Rumman, a researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan and a political commentator, said, “In his speech, the king has sent the West and the Americans an important sign on the need to financially assist Jordan, or else he will be forced to completely close the border to stop the flow of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees into its territory.”

Fares al-Fayez, a military expert and a retired Jordanian army major-general, spoke about Jordan’s indirect involvement in supporting the Syrian opposition forces and in the deployment of US fighter jets and missile interceptors on its territory. He said, “There is no doubt that Amman will be an access point for any military action against Syria, because of Jordan’s geographical proximity to Syria and its historical alliance with the US. Yet, it will keep its roles undeclared.”


*Al Monitor