JORDAN FOCUSES ON SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES
AMMAN Ñ Jordan has invested in developing its special operations
forces.
Officials said the Hashemite kingdom will focus on special forces as
part
of plans to improve the military's capability. They said this includes
relaying to the special forces additional funds and assets.
Jordan's King Abdullah is a former commander of the special operations
forces. He has established a role for the forces in the fields of
counter-insurgency, border control, peacekeeping and operations behind enemy
lines.
The role of the special operations forces has been highlighted during
the
current military exercise with the United States. Operation Infinite
Moonlight was launched and will last two weeks in the desert of southern
Jordan near the Iraqi border. The exercise has been held on an annual basis
since the mid-1990s.
Jordan has also been exercising with British troops. Officials said
about 200 British soldiers have been exercising with Jordanian units in
maneuvers that will end by early next month.
Officials said the United States has helped Jordan's special forces with
funding and military surplus. They said the current joint exercise has been
accompanied by a review of Jordan's military needs by the U.S. Central
Command.
Much of Jordan's defense industry focuses on equipping the special
forces. The King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau has developed
armored systems, tactical vehicles and combat vehicles. Last year, the unit
also received Spartan armored personnel carriers from Belgium.
Officials said Jordan has exported its knowledge of special operations
forces to the rest of the Arab world. They said the kingdom has been
training troops from a range of Arab countries, including the Gulf
Cooperation Council states, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya and Morocco.
Much of the Jordanian expertise was acquired from joint exercises with
the United States and European militaries. Jordan and the United States have
been holding regular exercises since 1974, when the two countries
established a joint military commission.
