Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Israel has maintained a tiny military presence along its border with Jordan, a report said.

The Washington Institute For Near East Policy asserted that the Israel Army has maintained several infantry companies along the 120-kilometer Jordan Valley.

In a report, the institute said the Army deploys as few as 200 troops in the area from Jericho in the south to Sde Terumot in the north.

“In fact, the current Israeli military presence in the valley is much smaller than that widespread impression,” the report, titled “Clarifying The Security Arrangements Debate: Israeli Forces In The Jordan Valley,” said.

Authors Michael Eisenstadt and Robert Satloff said the Army maintains “a handful of infantry companies.” They said the infantry presence, which benefits from cooperation with Jordan, ranges from 200 to 500 soldiers as well as border security personnel.

“Israel does not hide the small size of this contingent, but it does not
advertise it either,” the report said. “It is able to maintain such a
limited force because of close coordination with highly professional
Jordanian security forces, cooperative working relations with
still-developing Palestinian security forces, and the supplementary use of
advanced technology.”

The report said Israel was expected to maintain the current force
strength along the Jordan Valley in wake of any agreement with the
Palestinian Authority. Any U.S.-arranged agreement would be designed to
allow the Israeli military to rely on technology rather troops.

“During the transitional period of implementing a final peace deal, one
can expect Israel’s military presence in the Jordan Valley to be roughly in
line with its current size,” the report, dated Feb. 24, said. “There may be
some fluctuation as Israel adjusts force levels to deal with potential
threats emanating from the east and west.”

The report cited the Israeli use of scanners, sniffers, unmanned aerial
vehicles and remote sensors for border security. Under any deal drafted by
U.S. security adviser Gen. John Allen, Israel would transfer security
responsibility to both Jordan and the PA.

“In the post-transition period — whether defined in advance by specific
criteria, as Israel demands, or by a set schedule as the PA demands
Israel would like to keep a small deployment of ‘invisible’ monitors at
border crossings, operating behind two-way mirrors or watching video
monitors in adjacent rooms, as well as a contingent of troops to patrol a
corridor along the Jordan River,” the report said.

“This force would be
roughly the same size as that currently deployed in the area and would work
with the Jordanians and Palestinians to provide a buffer against
infiltration and terrorist activity.”

  Jericho, Jordan Valley, Report: Israel maintains only a small force along Jordan border, Sde Terumot, Washington Institute for Near East Policy