Jordan Reluctant to Host Syria Rebel Training
Source: Daily Star/Reuters
WASHINGTON: Jordan, where the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has been covertly training Syrian rebels for more than a year, is reluctant to host an expanded rebel instruction program, U.S. officials said.
Jordan's reticence, confirmed by four U.S. officials, is a potentially serious setback for President Barack Obama's proposed $500 million initiative, announced in June, to train and arm moderate rebels fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Al-Qaeda-linked groups.
It could signal a larger challenge in finding suitable nations willing to host the U.S.-led training at a time of heightened tensions across much of the Middle East.
While U.S. officials have not made a formal request to the Jordanian government, the country was widely considered a top choice to host the training due its close security relationship with Washington, proximity to neighboring Syria and pool of more than 600,000 Syrian refugees.
U.S. officials and analysts said Jordan feared violent retaliation from Syria if its territory were used for overt training conducted by U.S. military units.
<snip>
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jul-12/263660-jordan-reluctant-to-host-syria-rebel-training.ashx#ixzz37KRoH7oY
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jul-12/263660-jordan-reluctant-to-host-syria-rebel-training.ashx#axzz37KRAXZAy
A "serious setback" for Obama's military intervention in Syria. Ain't that a shame. Nobody wants to do our dirty work.
Jordan fears "violent retaliation from Syria." Well, no shit. Try to help overthrow your neighbor and you become part of the game. I also suspect the king is looking at ISIS on the horizon and thinking about how accustomed he is to having his head attached to his body.
= new reply since forum marked as read
