Jordan asks US to deploy Patriot systems citing 'ballistic' threat
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Jordan asks the United States to supply it with Patriot air defense systems in order to enhance its security.
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A Patriot missile mobile launcher is displayed outside the Fort Sill Army Post near Lawton, Oklahoma, March 21, 2023 (AP)
Jordan has requested Patriot air defense missiles from the United States to enhance its security, Jordanian Armed Forces military media director Brigadier General Mustafa Al-Hayari said on Sunday.
In an interview with a state-owned TV channel, Al-Hayari mentioned the need for a system to counter unmanned aerial threats, which he described as a growing concern for the country due to their use in drug smuggling.
"We have asked the American side to bolster our air defense system with Patriot missiles," he said. "This is an expensive system that cannot be effectively deployed using local resources alone, so we require a strategic partner."
Al-Hayari highlighted what he claimed to be continuous threats, including ballistic missiles surrounding Jordan from the north, east, and west, emphasizing that the Patriot was the most effective weapon against such threats.
"The Patriot is a defensive weapon used to protect Jordanian territory. If a threat to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan arises, we will defend it using this weapon and means," he explained
He pointed out the strong relationships with various Jordanian allies, stating that they would not hesitate to leverage these relationships when needed.
Al-Hayari emphasized that it was a strategic decision for "the Hashemite Kingdom [...] to ally with a great power, the United States, in a 72-year-old alliance amid a turbulent region surrounding Jordan."
Jordan aiding the US??
Earlier in the month, Jordan faced accusations that the United States was using its bases in Jordan to transfer supplies to the Israeli occupation forces. However, a Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) military source disputed the accusations.
The source expressed that the accusations regarding a US military plane taking off from a Jordanian military facility are "unfounded" and "false", warning that they are part of a smear campaign against Jordan.
He claimed that Jordan has maintained a steadfast position with Palestine and has made continuous efforts to serve the Palestinian cause and support the Palestinian right to freedom and independence.
Earlier on Saturday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced that its Resistance fighters targeted the US forces at al-Tanf base, located on the border triangle between Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, with two drones. Sources reported to Al Mayadeen that “a missile also targeted American forces in Kharab al-Jir in Syria.”
Moreover, in light of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Jordanian King Abdullah bin Al Hussein was quoted by the PETRA news agency as announcing that neither Jordan nor Egypt will take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza.
"I speak out forcefully not just on behalf of Jordan, but also on behalf of our brothers in Egypt: neither Jordan nor Egypt will be able to take in refugees. The situation has a range of humanitarian aspects that have to be decided on Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank. It is impossible to try to force a situation concerning Palestinians' future on other countries," he said after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
King Abdullah added that a new reality was being established on the ground.
"We all realize that the situation is serious and how we are going to cooperate to ease the escalation and halt violence, and we have to think about what happens next. The violence must stop, we cannot go on with the same circle of violence each year," he stated.
