AFP: American forces arrive to Jordan for joint operations

AMMAN, August 12 (AFP) - Jordano-American joint operations, without relationship with Iraq, must start in "the 48 hours" with the arrival Monday with the port of Aqaba (southern) of American forces, indicated to the AFP a person in charge in Amman.

These forces, estimated at nearly 4.000 American soldiers, will carry out during three weeks different military exercises, with the Jordanian army, specified the person in charge under cover for anonymity.

According to him, "these operations were decided more than one year ago and belong to regular exercises between the armies of the two countries and are by no means in connection with Iraq".

"A the end of the operations, is during the first week of September, the American forces will leave the Jordanian territory and no American soldier pertaining to these forces will remain in the kingdom", insisted the person in charge.

Jordan, one of the principal Arab allies of Washington but opposed to an American striking against its neighbor of the east, denied on several occasions that the presence of soldiers or American experts on his territory is dependent of near or by far on a possible striking against Iraq, evoked by the press.

Jordanian military persons in charge previously pointed out, in this context, that the operations with the American army had never taken place close to the border jordano-Iraqi.

American Forces Arrive in Jordan for Joint Exercises

Monday, August 12, 2002 -- 08:38 GMT

AMMAN, August 12 (AFP) - Joint Jordanian-American exercises are expected to begin within "48 hours" with the Monday arrivail of American Forces in Aqaba Port in Southrn Jordan, without Iraqi involvement, a source in Amman told AFP.

The forces, estimated at 4,000 American soldiers, will carry out various military exercises for about three weeks with the Jordanian Army, the source told AFP under anonymity.

He said, " The operations were planed over a year ago, are regular exercises between the two nations, and have nothing to do with Iraq."

"The the conclusion of the maneuvers, scheduled for the first week of September, the American forces will leave Jordan and no American soldiers involved will remain in the Kingdom," the source insisted.

Jordan, a principal Arab ally of Washington but opposed to a stike on its eastern neighbor, has repeated denied the American military its territory for use as a staging-ground for a strike against Iraq, wether in the near or long-term future, according to the press.

The Jordanian military has previously pointed out that the exercises with the American Army have taken place near the Jordan-Iraq border.

My translation.

Google totally murder this: Jordan, one of the principal Arab allies of Washington but opposed to an American striking against its neighbor of the east, denied on several occasions that the presence of soldiers or American experts on his territory is dependent of near or by far on a possible striking against Iraq, evoked by the press. My translation of this part was quite a bit more liberal than literal.

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