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Higher Number of Troops than Announced Includes Special Forces
[AMMAN] - Ahmed Thiabat
sits on his balcony in Jordan overlooking the Syrian town of Tal Shehab
just over the Syrian border. This once tranquil farmland has become a
battleground for troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and
rebels fighting to unseat him.
Thiabat, a farmer and
father of five, hears gunshots daily. He says he can’t sleep at night
since several mortar shells fell in fields near his home.
"This area was a true
paradise -- green all year ‘round,” he told The Media Line. “Now, the
sounds of birds are being replaced by gunshots and soldiers are becoming
a permanent fixture of the scenery," he said.
An estimated 210,000
Syrian refugees have fled to Jordan since the fighting began and the
number is expected to climb to 250,000 by year’s end. Jordanian
officials say they plan to open a second refugee camp in order to
accommodate the growing number fleeing Syria.
US Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta said this week that the United States has sent soldiers to
Jordan to help with relief efforts for the refugees. He did not give a
number, but last week the New York Times reported that there were 150
soldiers in Jordan, including communications specialists, logistics
experts, planners, trainers and headquarters staff.
Diplomats and military
sources tell The Media Line that the number is actually much higher.
They say that troops, including intelligence officers, are coming from
France, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as from the US and the United
Kingdom.
"Hundreds of French
troops are doing their work in the northern city of Mafraq, let alone
the assistance from the Gulf" said a western diplomat.
Jordanian sources close
to the army confirmed to The Media Line that more than 1,500 American
soldiers from elite units including the U.S. Army Special Operations
Command (USASOC); the 75th Ranger Regiment (Airborne), also known as
Rangers; and Navy Seals are present in the kingdom.
"The US troops have been
moving across Jordan's northern border for several months now, making
security assessments, helping screen refugees, and monitoring the
border," said the western diplomat.
He said the timing of the announcement now is partly connected to the US election campaign.
"The Syrian government
knows about these troops, but the American public needed to know that
(American president Barack) Obama has not abandoned his role in the
region," said the diplomat.
Republican candidate Mitt
Romney has charged that that the present US administration is losing
interest in the vital Middle East region.
The international
involvement in Jordan began in May, when some 1,200 Arab soldiers from
the Gulf States held an exercise simulating a response to a Syrian
chemical weapons attack on the refugees in Jordan.
An Arab diplomat said that Saudi Arabia deployed dozens of tanks while Qatar and Bahrain provided other military hardware.
"The Gulf countries
decided to use Jordan as its first defense shield against any spillover
of violence from Syria," the diplomat told The Media Line.
After initially denying
their existence in its territories, the Jordanian government admitted
there were, indeed, American forces on its soil.
"The US troops in Jordan
is part of the exchanging of visits between the Jordanian and US armies;
part of increased cooperation; and to improve the capabilities of both
sides to ensure regional stability," government spokesman Sameeh Mayta
was quoted by the official Jordanian news agency, Petra.
Jordan enjoys strong
relations with Washington, particularly in the military and intelligence
fields, and its army receives at least one-half billion dollars each
year from the United States in military assistance.
Back
on the border, Ahmed Thiabat says he has noticed dozens of
“Western-looking troops” near his home. He says he is certain that
Jordan, with the help of those soldiers, will be able to contain any
spillover of violence from Syria.
"People talk about
American or British forces giving assistance to our army. We are happy
to see the world is trying to protect us." he said.
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Labels: Britain, Conflict, Middle East, Political Realities, Syria, United States
posted by Pieface @ Friday, October 19, 2012
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