NOVANEWS
Tehran accuses Amman of cooperating with Qaeda and Israel against Syria
middle-east-online.com
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, General Hassan Firouzabadi, has criticized the Jordan for its “cooperation with the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization and Israel against Syria,” and stressed that Amman’s policies are threatening the Muslim community.
“Jordan’s opening of its borders to allow Al-Qaeda fighters to kill people in Syria has severely lowered the country’s creditability among Muslims,” Firouzabadi, who is also a member of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on Wednesday, according to Fares news agency.
Firouzabadi pointed to Jordan’s cooperation with Israelis and westerner nations, and noted, “The Jordanian dynasty has completed its betrayal of Palestine by opening its air space to Israeli warplanes.”
“Jordan’s military cooperation with Israel and Al Qaeda is a blow to the Arab world and threatens the interests of the Islamic nation,” he said.
Reacting to Iranian accusations, a Jordanian official said his country “will not open” its airspace toward Syria to Israel or any other party.
The unnamed Jordanian official, who was quoted by the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper, mocked “Firouzabadi’s accusations and allegations.”
He added, “There is no need for Jordan to open its airspace to Israel as there are joint borders between Syria and Israel.”
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel revealed last week that some 150 US military specialists have been deployed in Jordan since last year and that he had ordered a US Army headquarters team to bolster the mission, bringing the total American presence to more than 200 troops.
“These personnel will continue to work alongside Jordanian Armed Forces to improve readiness and prepare for a number of scenarios,” said Hagel.
The US troops were deployed to Jordan to help secure chemical weapons amid fears they could fall into the hands of Islamist militants fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and prepare for a possible spillover from Syria.
Assad, whose regime has been battling rebels trying to oust him since March 2011, warned in an interview Wednesday with Syrian television that the war in his country could spread to Jordan which he said was allowing rebels free movement.
Jordanian Information Minister Mohammad Momani said earlier that the US deployment was “to boost the Jordanian armed forces in light of the deteriorating situation in Syria.”
But the army denied this and said in a statement on Thursday: “The 200 US troops have nothing to do with Syria’s situation. They are the first of the groups that will take part of the annual Eager Lion military exercise, in which 15 countries are participating.”
“The Jordan Armed Forces have the required capabilities to defend Jordan’s borders, stability and security against any threat,” it added, saying the drill will take place “in the coming weeks.”
