Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has developed a close intelligence relationship with Jordan.

A classified memorandum by the U.S. National Security Agency disclosed an intimate relationship with Jordan’s intelligence community.

The NSA memo, leaked by former CIA contractor Edward Snowden, asserted that the cooperation with Jordan focused on the Palestinian Authority and its security forces.

“EWD [Jordan’s Electronic Warfare Directorate] provides high-interest, unique collection on targets of mutual interest, such as the Palestinian Security Forces,” the NSA document, dated April 11, 2013, said. “EWD is the sole contributor to a large body of NSA’s reporting on this target.”

Documents released by Snowden disclosed high interest in the Palestinians by the intelligence communities of Britain, Canada and Israel.

The documents also told of PA intelligence cooperation with Washington on the Arab world.

Jordan’s intelligence community was said to have targeted the PA. Over the last eight years, the PA has sent nearly 10,000 cadets to Jordan for U.S.-financed security training.

“NSA’s partnership with EWD is a well established, long-standing and trusted relationship dating back to the early 1980’s,” the memo, released by Intercept, said. “They cooperate on high-priority SIGINT targets of mutual interest.”

  Close U.S.-Jordan intel ties revealed by NSA memo leaked by Snowden, Edward Snowden, Electronic Warfare Directorate, National Security Agency