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Jordan border, Iraqi-terror link
While the U.S. has pointed with concern
to terrorist infiltration of Iraq from neighboring Iran and Syria, officials
have been mute about training camps, munitions and irregular forces discovered
in the southwest part of the country bordering "pro-West" Jordan, reports
Joseph
Farah's G2 Bulletin. As Jordan's King Abdullah visited with
President Bush at Camp David last week, U.S. military forces from the 101st
Airborne Division were capturing dozens of anti-coalition Arabs in a remote
desert training camp near the Jordanian border. The handcuffed prisoners wore
the traditional Jordanian bedouin red-and-white kaffiyehs, or head scarves.
The online intelligence newsletter reports the
U.S. State Department continues to look the other way when it comes to Jordan,
preferring to criticize Syria and Iran for their support to the
"Iraqifada," while the Pentagon considers Jordan in their evaluation
of risk to coalition troops and the stability of a free Iraq. While the Hashemite kingdom cultivates close
ties with the U.S. and the West, Abdullah, like his father King Hussein, walks
a political tightrope because of his Palestinian Arab population and Jordan's
historic alliance with Iraq. "Coalition officers, who are not allowed
to voice their views openly, have quietly been told to treat Jordan with a
'respect and suspect' approach," G2 Bulletin reports. The relationship with Iraq, Jordan's neighbor
in the northeast, was always of great significance to the kingdom, both
economically and militarily. The Jordanian ruling Hashemite dynasty is related
to the founder of modern Iraq, King Feisal, and they regard Iraq as a sister
state. Time and again, and contrary to the conduct of other Arab rulers, the
late King Hussein and his successor King Abdullah, have consistently refused to
join anti-Iraqi initiatives – even while Saddam Hussein was turning much
of the world against him. Before, during and after the 1991 Gulf War,
Jordan continued to serve as the main land bridge from the Gulf of Aqaba all
the way to Baghdad. King Hussein continued this policy even after the
coalition's victory in Kuwait. He never joined those who celebrated the victory
of 1991, and maintained the policy of supporting Saddam Hussein despite heavy
American pressure. King Abdullah continued with this controversial support
until the final collapse of the Saddam regime. This attitude paved the way for Saddam's
daughters to find a safe haven in Amman as the personal guests of the king.
This is not a minor gesture, but rather a cultural statement implying much more
than just giving refuge to the family of a deposed ruler. By doing so, King
Abdullah has become the keeper of Saddam's legacy. In the future, the
dictator's grandchildren might one day become heirs to their grandfather and to
their killed uncles – Uday and Qusai. The Jordan Times Friday carried a story by Sami
Abudi of Reuters saying: "Saddam portraits to do good business in
kingdom." A front-page picture taken in an Amman frame shop shows a man
kissing a large photo of the Iraqi dictator. Store owner, Mahmmud Omar
Samhouri, explained he is selling up to 10 Saddam portraits a day to Arabs who
still consider him a hero and victim of U.S. bias toward Israel. Following the war and even before Syria and
Iran were mentioned as supporting the "Iraqifada," Jordan was the
first destination for those who wanted to reach Baghdad – including
enemies of the U.S. and the coalition. Since the official end of the war, not much has
been revealed on actions taken by the Jordanian security forces along the Iraq
border. No information was given of any arrests, apprehension of infiltrators,
nor anything suggesting Jordan is doing much to assist the U.S. effort. In addition to pro-Saddam sentiment among the
population, the kingdom is not immune to Islamic militancy. Events also
indicate strong anti-American and anti-Christian tendencies. One manifestation
of anti-American activities was the assassination in October 2002 of U.S.
Agency for International Development official Laurence Foley. The trial of his
assassins, Salem and Yasser ben Sweid, is now under way. Diplomats in Amman say
the trial will reveal only the tip of the radical Islamic iceberg the king will
have to deal with sooner or later. Jordan watchers concerned over the political
inexperience of the young king point to growing internal Islamic pressure. The
strong Islamic party, called Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the
Muslim Brotherhood recently decided to return to Parliament after boycotting
the Jordanian political establishment for a number of years. They won 17 seats
out of 80 in the parliament and became a force to be seriously reckoned with.
This makes life all the more complex for the king. Party activists and representatives are
demanding extreme Islamic legislation, criticizing the ruling elite as being
decadent, and demanding a suppression of western cultural influence. Militants
also call for the end of U.S. presence in Iraq, they are trying their best to
bring Jordanian-Israeli diplomatic ties to an end, and they are using every
means – legal or illegal – to support terrorists whether of
Palestinian origin or those en route to join the "Iraqifada." The king, who only recently joined a U.S.-led
initiative to put both the political and military wings of the Hamas Islamic
Movement on the terror list quickly had a change of heart. Yielding to pressure
from Islamists and Palestinians on the Central Bank of Jordan last week, he
reversed the previous directive to freeze assets of Hamas leaders. He also
reversed the decision to "illegalize" financial activities of at
least five different "fund raising" operations by Hamas and its bank
accounts in Europe. "Jordan is turning its head away from
southwest Iraq, the place where Muslim volunteers, not affiliated to the Syrian
or Iranian anti-coalition initiatives, are training and preparing for the task
of killing as many American soldiers as possible," concluded the G2
Bulletin report. Charles Mims |
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