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Diplomats: Jordan OKs U.S. Use of Bases
ABC News ^ | 1/30/03

Posted on 01/30/2003 10:28:19 AM PST by areafiftyone

Jordan has agreed to base U.S. troops in the kingdom and to allow the United States to use Jordanian airspace if Washington launches a war against Iraq, Jordanian-based diplomats said Thursday.

Also, the United States will provide Jordan with three anti-missile batteries in advance of any attack on Iraq, Jordanian officials said.

The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. troop presence initially would be limited to search and rescue operations but could expand in the course of any war to include attack forces against Western Iraq from along the Jordanian border.

There is strong resistance to a U.S.-led attack on Iraq among Jordanians and the government has sought to portray itself as uninvolved in any preparations for war.

Iraq is Jordan's key trading partner and eastern neighbor, and Jordan is home to a large Iraqi expatriate community.

Iraq's Arab neighbors have called on the United States to find a peaceful resolution to the standoff over whether Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction. But with the United States appearing determined to attack Iraq, claiming the U.N. inspection regime had failed, many Arab countries appear resigned to war and are blaming President Saddam Hussein.

The Patriot anti-missile batteries, to be delivered to Jordan within a few days, will be deployed mostly along the eastern frontier with Iraq, the Jordanian officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. They declined to disclose other details.

In the 1991 Gulf war, Iraq violated Jordanian airspace when it launched 39 Scud missiles at Israel. Jordan refused to join the U.S.-led coalition in that fight.

Last week, Jordan's army chief asked Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of the U.S. Central Command, to provide the kingdom with the anti-missile batteries. Prime Minister Ali Abul-Ragheb has said Jordan will rely on surface-to-air missiles to defend its airspace in the event Israel and Iraq lobbed missiles at each other.

Jordan had negotiated an air-defense deal with Russia, which failed to deliver quickly enough.

There was no immediate confirmation on the Patriot deal from Washington, which delivered six F-16 fighter jets to Jordan on Wednesday in the first batch of a donation of 16 attack aircraft to bolster Jordanian defense capabilities.

Jordan is a key U.S. ally in the Mideast, but has crucial business ties with Iraq. Trade with Baghdad amounted to $700 million last year. The kingdom also receives all its daily requirement of 90,000 barrels of oil from Baghdad half of it at preferential prices and the rest as a gift from Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Jordanians are bound by close geographic, social, cultural and religious ties with Iraq and are sympathetic to the Iraqis, who blame 12 years of U.N. sanctions for the death of tens of thousands of people.

King Abdullah II, who has said Jordan will not be a launching pad for an attack on Iraq, recently said chances of averting war with Iraq have "become slim."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: iraq; jordan; patriotmissiles; syria; warlist
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To: GraniteStateConservative
Dam#, shes so hot I'd eat the corn, wait I won't go there.
21 posted on 01/30/2003 12:19:27 PM PST by Intimidator
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To: mabelkitty; areafiftyone
Jordan's ruling family did not "select" Abdullah to succeed King Hussein -- Abdullah was selected by King Hussein himself shortly before he died.

And you are right when you call Abdullah's selection a "slight" -- it was considered a slight to Muslims in Jordan who never wanted Abdullah to rule Jordan because his mother was a Christian.

The U.S. has had a good relationship with Jordan over the years because Jordan is the most forward-thinking, pro-Western Islamic nation in the Middle East. And I'll g one step further -- I think King Hussein was also one of the most noble, principled leaders in the world over the last 100 years.

22 posted on 01/30/2003 12:48:14 PM PST by Alberta's Child
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To: xJones
She was born in Kuwait but her ancestry is Palestinian and she considers herself Palestinian.
23 posted on 01/30/2003 1:09:39 PM PST by areafiftyone (The U.N. is now officially irrelevant! The building is for Sale!!!)
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To: areafiftyone
Enough about Queen Rania. Regardless of how you feel about her she is gorgeous.

But the important thing is that Jordan has picked the right side in this conflict. We are beginning to see the French soften their stance and there is friction in Germany between the Socialists and the Green party on Iraq. GWB has played his hand well.
24 posted on 01/30/2003 1:30:58 PM PST by legman ("If God is for us, who can be against us?")
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To: areafiftyone
The king himself is American-educated; he went to Deerfield Academy (?) with one of my friends from college. There was a great quote from one of the teachers at the boarding school about the then-prince trying to get to the head of the lunch line:

"He may be a prince, but I'm the kind of the lunch room!"

25 posted on 01/30/2003 1:32:25 PM PST by JohnnyZ (Everyone knows that square is the shape of evil! -Spongebob Squarepants)
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To: legman
Enough about Queen Rania. Regardless of how you feel about her she is gorgeous.

Don't get your knickers in a twist. Sorry you feel that way about her!

26 posted on 01/30/2003 1:36:45 PM PST by areafiftyone (The U.N. is now officially irrelevant! The building is for Sale!!!)
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To: JohnnyZ
I have this dislike for kings or queens of any kind. But thats just me. I am sure he's a nice enough guy.
27 posted on 01/30/2003 1:39:12 PM PST by areafiftyone (The U.N. is now officially irrelevant! The building is for Sale!!!)
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To: areafiftyone
It has nothing to do with "feeling." 99 out of a 100 guys who knew nothing about her would say she's a knockout. I disagree with her politics, but if we could only make alliances with people we are in total agreement with, we couldn't even say America was on board.
28 posted on 01/30/2003 2:08:29 PM PST by legman ("If God is for us, who can be against us?")
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To: legman
Well I was just trying to point out that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. A hell of alot of women in the U.S. thought Clinton was gorgeous and look what happened he grabbed the female vote twice - also Edwards if we don't watch out will get the same treatment. (But Edwards is still a nobody even though he is running). I was just pointing out something that was wrong with this woman. Actually I didn't even mention her looks - except for once and that was to say she was a Julia Roberts lookalike and that is not an insult to her looks. I called her a witch (like we call Hillary one - for her actions - even though Hillary can't hold a candle to her in the looks department). Her husband is the ruler of Jordan and he has always been our ally which is probably why Bush has never invited her to the White House like Hillary did.
29 posted on 01/30/2003 3:33:13 PM PST by areafiftyone (The U.N. is now officially irrelevant! The building is for Sale!!!)
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To: GraniteStateConservative
What a beautiful creature. Jordan is blessed.
30 posted on 01/30/2003 3:43:10 PM PST by jayef
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To: Alberta's Child
I think King Hussein was also one of the most noble, principled leaders in the world over the last 100 years.

Didn't he side with Iraq during the Gulf War?

31 posted on 01/30/2003 7:06:42 PM PST by NewYorker
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To: NewYorker
Jordan never really took a side in that war, though they refused to allow U.S. forces to fly through Jordanian airspace.

You have to remember that King Hussein was always seen as a voice of reason in a very turbulent region. He was never one to burn any bridges. In fact, I've speculated here that this time it will be King Abdullah who eventually convinces Saddam Hussein to go into exile rather than make a stand in Iraq.

32 posted on 01/30/2003 7:29:53 PM PST by Alberta's Child
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To: Alberta's Child
I've speculated here that this time it will be King Abdullah who eventually convinces Saddam Hussein to go into exile rather than make a stand in Iraq.

I hope for the sake of the men and women in our military you're right about that.

33 posted on 01/30/2003 8:44:33 PM PST by NewYorker
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