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Posted on 08/12/2002 10:09:14 AM PDT by kattracks
AMMAN, Jordan (Reuters) - U.S.-Jordan military exercises began Monday in the southern desert part of the country amid heightened tensions over a possible pre-emptive U.S. attack on Iraq, officials and diplomats said Monday.
But they said an undisclosed number of U.S. Marines who landed offshore from two vessels docked at the Red Sea port of Aqaba were engaged in pre-scheduled annual training that was not linked to any possible U.S. military assault against Iraq.
"The Jordanian army is undertaking military maneuveres with a U.S. military unit within the program of annual exercises that are executed by the army with a number of friendly and brotherly states," a government spokesman told Reuters.
U.S. media reports have in recent weeks quoted military planners as saying Washington was considering Jordan as a base for staging air and commando raids against Iraq.
Officials have vehemently denied the country was involved in any secret plans to use its territory or that it would allow U.S. troops any facilities.
Pentagon spokesman Marine Lieutenant Colonel Dave Lapan said the exercises have been held annually since 1997 and were long-planned, "independent of anything else going on in the region."
Jordanian military sources declined to give details about the joint exercises, only saying they were taking place in desert terrain in the south of the country for two weeks.
"The U.S. forces will leave after the conclusion of the two-week training period," one military official said.
HEIGHTENED WAR RHETORIC
Diplomats say the timing of the exercises at a time of heightened U.S. war rhetoric against Iraq will only fuel growing domestic pressure by vocal Islamist and leftist groups in Jordan who seek a firmer anti-U.S. stance by the government.
Leading opposition figures have voiced concern Washington was exerting its heavy political and economic influence with the government to use its territory as a launching pad for its anti-Iraq designs.
Jordan, a major U.S. ally in the region, has been rewarded this year by hefty extra military assistance as a reward for its strong support for President Bush's "war on terrorism" and restrained criticism of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Jordan has also coordinated with Turkey, another U.S. ally which also borders Iraq, over contingency plans to minimize any domestic backlash in the event of a U.S. attack, officials say.
Officials privately say the U.S. attack could be only a matter of timing.
Planners are beginning to draw plans on how to deal with any large Iraqi refugee influx and ruptured oil supplies, they say.
Iraq tops Jordan's export list and the kingdom depends on Baghdad for its oil consumption.
Decision-makers have expressed worry about widening anti-American sentiment by ordinary Jordanians enraged by what they view as Washington's strong pro-Israeli stance.
They fear internal civil unrest by pro-Iraqi opposition groups in the event of a large scale U.S. attack on Iraq.
Politicians say the government has to tread carefully on the Iraqi issue as many Jordanians are sympathetic to the plight of ordinary Iraqis and blame U.S. and the British-backed sanctions for their suffering.
Copyright 2002 Reuters News Service. All rights reserved.
I mean...which is it?? One of the above?? NEITHER??
</rhetorical questions>
Now, just imagine what Iraq is thinking.
ROFLOL, well said. He's probably thinking "If they come here, I will launch my missiles at them...again...and maybe get my butt whupped...again" while his knees shake uncontrollably.
I think Jordan and King Abdullah are the perfect alternative to Saudi Arabia and the entire, untrustworthy Wahabbist House of Saud.
They know we are coming.....we know we are going....and all this drip, drip, drip. must be driving them totally bonkers........:-)
Heck I was on a thread the other day that said we were going to try out a new weapon on the Iraqis .....it is sort of a sonar beam turned up really high designed to cause you to lose your dinner if you get my drift..
Imagine planning for that......and you don't even know if it is true...
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You got that right. "Drip...drip...drip" indeed!
He then will immediately slip out of our control/grasp, and grab up all the pieces, pawns, and dominoes for himself.
BTW Anyone interested in hearing really interesting discussions about the Iraq campaign--tune into WABC from 10 PM to 1 AM EST--Bachelor and Alexander--I think it's on the Net as well as the radio.
Now the king called up his jet fighters, said you better earn your pay, drop your bombs between the minarets, down the casbah way...
Crystalk,
Re: Post 13, I Agree with You 1000% !
Elvis 2, will let the "POWER" go way beyond his very mortal head and Voila!...Can we say...Anti-Messiah!
Oh, things are only just beginning to "heat up"!
Stay Tuned...to FOX NEWS.
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