U.S. moving to resupply Jordan's military with munitions: officials

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. moving to resupply Jordan's military with munitions: officials

BY PHIL STEWART AND SULEIMAN AL-KHALIDI
WASHINGTON/AMMAN Fri Feb 13, 2015 5:40pm EST

(Reuters) - The United States is readying plans to resupply Jordan with munitions in the coming weeks, possibly including precision-guided arms, expediting support for the kingdom as it expands its role in airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS), officials say.

The State Department and Pentagon declined comment on any future moves to assist Jordan with requests for weapons. But several U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that planning was well underway to help replenish Jordan's supplies of ordnance.

U.S. efforts to expedite delivery of munitions and other weapons follow a vocal appeal from Jordan's King Abdullah to American lawmakers last week for greater U.S. support.

A source close to the Jordanian government told Reuters the kingdom believed its supplies of bombs are being stretched too thin as it expands its role in strikes following the Islamic State's grisly execution of a Jordanian pilot.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/13/us-usa-jordan-arms-idUSKBN0LH2GP20150213

[Renew Deal]

1. This appears to be another example of how weak many of the worlds militaries are.

They don't have enough bombs to last more than a couple weeks of light conflict? That's ridiculous.

[bemildred]

3. Indeed, what the hell is the matter with them? Don't they plan ahead? nt

[Renew Deal]

4. We've seen it repeatedly in the last year

Nigeria is completely incapable of defending itself. Ukraine is very flimsy. Jordan runs out of bombs in weeks. The bad people of the world like terrorists and others must salivate at the possibilities.

I think it also brings up the question about how well organized the US's defensive capabilities are. They really aren't tested at this time.

[bemildred]

5. And look at Yemen?

General Atlantic and Admiral Pacific keep us relatively safe. But for just that reason no doubt we are slack about defense too.

[Renew Deal]

6. Right

I knew I forgot someone.

[Thinkingabout]

2. In light of US troops on the ground it sounds better to supply the Jordanians

With supplies.

[richard729]

7. War For Dummies

War For Dummies issue #1: By fighting ISIS Barack Obama is helping the dictator Bashar al-Assad whom Obama vowed must go. Assad has killed over 150,000 of his own people and various militias fighting throughout the country.

War For Dummies issue #2: Since the Free Syrian Army has dissipated Obama now plans to retrain the FSA to fight ISIS. Of course the FSA wants to topple Assad too. Confusing!

War For Dummies issue #3: Since most of the fighters are Iraqi Sunnis in exile as a result of the Iraq policies of Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki's purge of the Sunnis from participating in his central government Obama must take sides whether he likes it or not.

War For Dummies issue #4: By siding with the new Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his Islamic Shiite government, he is also siding with one of George W. Bush's Axis of Evil countries, the Mullah-run Islamic Shiite state of Iran.

War For Dummies issue #5: Astonishingly, but perhaps predictably, Iraq's army that was trained during the Bush occupation of that country to the tune of $25 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars, collapsed when it faced its first test. Last August ISIS poured across the border from Syria into Iraq and kicked their butts. According to reports on the ground 10,000 Iraqi "soldiers" stripped off their uniforms, turned over all their U.S. supplied weapons vehicles to ISIS and ran like scared rabbits.

War For Dummies issue #6: Barack Obama is now faced with re-recruiting and retraining the Iraqi military who may or may not be loyal to the recently installed Islamic Shiite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi whose government has established closer ties with the militant Islamic Shiite Mullah-run state of Iran. Iran of course is pursuing the building of nuclear weapons which may inevitably be used against Israel and other countries hostile to Iran's interests including our own.

War For Dummies issue #7: There is no "coalition of the willing." The UK, Germany and Turkey have said no to any involvement in Obama's ISIS campaign. That leaves the countries immediately surrounding Syria and Iraq. The only one of those countries that may have capable military forces is Saudi Arabia. After all, we sold (gave?) them sophisticated missiles and F-15 fighter planes and other modern military equipment. Jordan only recently joined the air war when one of their pilots was shot down and captured by ISIS forces who placed him in a cage and burned him to death.

But the "coalition" support such as it is from Saudi Arabia, is weak, confined to offering perfunctory actions such as restricting foreign access in and out of their country's checkpoints and giving moral support like, "You go Obama. Have at 'em and we'll keep selling you our oil as long as you keep those infidels away from our monarchy."

So, in summarizing, Barack Obama has vowed to fight ISIS, many of whom are disaffected Sunnis in Syria whose dictator Bashar al-Assad wants to rid his country of all opposition to his despotic regime. Let's also not forget that Russia is lurking in the background since their only naval base in that part of the world,Tartus, is in Syria. An allied attack against Damascus where Assad resides could draw Russia into the mix if they believe their military assets are being jeopardized.

But, Obama also wants to rebuild the Islamic Shiite military whose corrupt officer corps will welcome more U.S. money and equipment like they raked in for 8 years under the Bush-Cheney administration's failed nation-building. Judging by their past performance in battle they will have even more bargaining chips (read graft) to give away to ISIS whenever ISIS decides to take their war to Baghdad where the Bush constructed $700 million American embassy may become ISIS' new caliphate headquarters. Yesterday, ISIS forces and suicide bombers attacked a base at Taji where 320 U.S. Marines are based. The Taji base is about 19 miles from Baghdad.

In the meantime, the Sunnis hate the Shiites, the Kurds in northern Iraq hate both the Sunnis and the Shiites, so Obama will continue his air war, bombing somebody, anybody and maybe, just maybe we will hit a couple of bad guys. Who's counting?

There will be no aircraft landing for Obama declaring an end to hostilities and the only coalition is is a Coalition of the Wilting. The all-volunteer U.S. military, many of whom are now in their 30s and 40s with families to raise, are getting real nervous right about
now. Where and how will Obama and the Republican-controlled congress find the new blood to spill? Perhaps they can recruit Condoleezza Rice who will concoct another "mushroom cloud" scenario to drum up support from a war-weary American public. Right!

War For Dummies has no Cliff notes and any academic explanations are yet to be written.

[bemildred]

8. Welcome to DU.

I see you are familiar with the Bush/Neocon "success" in the Middle East, although they don't take credit for the effort. They say it's all Obama's fault and everything was fine when they gave it to him.

Anyway, you can't blame Libya and Yemen on Bush. But the Neocons are still there, still trying to make the Bush vision for the Middle East work.