Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordanian military experts and officials told Al-Shorfa they are confident the kingdom will be able to protect its eastern border against potential threats in the wake of the "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) offensive in neighbouring Iraq.

The kingdom's eastern border with Iraq is stable and secure, and security has been reinforced to prevent any breaches, they said, noting that Jordanian security forces are in a state of alert.

The Jordanian army command has put all its resources at the disposal of the Border Guard, Border Guard commander Brig. Gen. Saber Mahayra said Wednesday (June 25th).

"A state of cautious anticipation prevails because of what is happening in Iraq," he said, adding that the Border Guard command will only allow entry or exit from the kingdom through official border crossings and ports.

Jordan's border with Iraq is approximately 181 kilometres long with just one crossing, the al-Karama border crossing in Turaibil.

NO BASE FOR ISIL IN JORDAN

"Jordanians reject the terrorist acts perpetrated by ISIL," political analyst Hani Hazaimeh said, noting that "there is no base for the organisation" in Jordan.

ISIL seeks to make Jordan part of the "Islamic state" it claimed to have established on Sunday (June 30th) but will find it "very difficult to achieve this goal due to Jordan's military capabilities", he told Al-Shorfa.

However, the situation in Iraq will have a sharp impact on Jordan, primarily on its economy, Hazaimeh added.

Jordan and Iraq had planned to build an oil pipeline from Basra to Aqaba in southern Jordan, he said, but this project is now in jeopardy, given the prevailing security circumstances.

"Jordan imports oil from Iraq at preferential prices," he said. "This agreement, however, is suspended because of the situation."

Hazaimeh stressed the need for mutual co-operation to combat all forms of terrorism and extremist organisations that may impair the prosperity of the region.

With regard to the kingdom's eastern border, Hazaimeh said "the actions taken by Jordan recently are sufficient to prevent any infiltration".

Border security is important, but Jordan must be strengthened from within if it is to successfully counter terrorist organisations such as ISIL, Hazaimeh said.

"Although Jordan is capable of defending itself militarily and confronting the terrorist organisation, it is necessary to work on addressing the frustration among some segments in Jordan stemming from the difficult economic conditions in order to enhance its ability to confront the organisation," he said.

EXTENSIVE COUNTER-TERROR EXPERIENCE

Jordan has extensive counter-terrorism experience, said military expert Maamoun Abu Nawwar.

"Jordan has a counter-terrorism centre that is the most advanced in the Middle East, and it is continually involved in specialised counter-terrorism military exercises," he said, adding that the Jordanian army also is highly trained and equipped to combat terrorism.

"It will be difficult for ISIL, al-Qaeda or any other terrorist groups to withstand the army or succeed in infiltrating across the border from Iraq," he said.

"Although ISIL has funding and training, its capability is limited and it is incapable of imposing actual control," he added.

"Jordan was able to protect its borders when it faced similar threats from terrorist groups like al-Qaeda in the past, and will not have difficulty in dealing with the situation [if it arises again]," said Khetam Malkawi, a journalist specialised in foreign affairs.

On several recent visits to the al-Karama border crossing on the Jordan-Iraq border, Malkawi said nothing seemed out of the ordinary, with truck traffic flowing through from Iraq as normal.

"No eye witness spoke of an ISIL presence in the border areas near Jordan," she said.

Two weeks ago, Jordan's King Abdullah visited Chechnya to discuss counter-terrorism efforts with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

Jordan is working with Chechen leaders to capture and detain Chechen and other North Caucasians fighting on behalf of ISIL, media reports said.

*Al-Shorfa