Islamists in Jordan reject foreign forces in the Kingdom

On Friday, the Islamists in Jordan “firmly” rejected the presence of any foreign forces in the Kingdom. Meanwhile, American forces are heading to Amman to potentially intervene and secure the chemical weapons store in Syria.

Jordan’s Islamic Action Front Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, made a statement saying “due to the party’s commitment to national sovereignty and its experience with American political motives, it expresses its firm rejection of the presence of any foreign forces in Jordanian territories.”

In the statement, that was posted on its website, the party called on the government to “reconsider its decision to allow the deployment of foreign forces on Jordanian soil.”

It also pointed out that “the courageous Jordanian army, with the support of the noble Jordanian people, are able to defend the country and its interests. However, the motives of the US forces are based on their personal interests, and the interests of its strategic ally, (Israel).”

On Wednesday, Washington announced that it would reinforce its military presence in Jordan to train its army in the event that assistance is needed to secure the chemical weapons stockpile in Syria.

Last October, the US deployed about 150 Special Armed Forces in Jordan for this mission, and it will now increase the number of soldiers in Jordan to 200.

On its part, the Jordanian government said that the on-going contact regarding the deployment of these soldiers is within the usual cooperation and coordination understanding. It also stressed that Jordan’s position on the occurrences in Syria is “firmly against any military intervention, and it calls for a comprehensive political solution that will put an end to the cycle of violence in bloodshed.”

A senior official in the Jordanian Armed Forces made a statement saying that these soldiers “have nothing to do with the current situation in Syria,” explaining that they are “the first of several groups that will participate in the joint military exercise “Eager Lion” held annually in Jordan. Jordan is considered one of Washington’s main allies in the Middle East and its “war on terror.”