Syrian crisis leaves Jordan in a spot

JORDANIANS are suspicious about US weapons and troops being deployed to the kingdom, even if Washington seeks to help its ally protect itself from a possible spillover of Syrian violence, experts say.
Worried about the security of Jordan, which is already struggling to cope with around 550,000 refugees from its war-torn northern neighbor, the United States has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country since a joint military exercise ended on June 20.
A US defense official said that Washington has expanded its military presence in the country to 1,000 troops.
“Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom,” analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, said. “For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbors, which would impact the country itself.” Rintawi said Jordan is a key US regional ally that is still stable and secure.
“For the Americans, protecting that stability is key and at the core of their strategy in the Middle East.
“But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country.” Jordan has repeatedly said it does not seek to interfere in Syria’s affairs.
“Jordanian people do not want to see American troops here because they fear the Syrian regime could retaliate,” political writer and columnist Labib Kamhawi said.
“The US weapons and troops have been deployed to Jordan as a precautionary measure, but this could be seen by Syria as an act of aggression, which makes people here worried.”
King Abdallah vowed this month to defend Jordan from the war in Syria, saying “we are capable at any time to take the necessary measures to protect our country and people’s interests.”