Olmert floats proposal for deploying Jordan troops in West Bank
JERUSALEM — Israel is reviewing the prospect of deploying
Jordan's military in the West Bank.
Israeli sources said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has discussed a proposal
that would bring thousands of Jordanian troops to patrol the
Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Under the proposal, up to 2,000
Jordanian troops, acting similar to a United Nations force, would train PA
officers and maintain security in major cities in the area.
"Perhaps when we leave territories in the West Bank, an international
force could be one to think about," Olmert said. "Perhaps an Arab army in
the West Bank."
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The proposal, first reported by the Jerusalem Post, would enable the
deployment of Jordan's military for the first time since 1967, when the
Hashemite kingdom lost the West Bank in the war against Israel, Middle East Newsline reported.
In 1988, Jordan announced its separation from the West Bank.
The sources said Olmert has discussed the deployment of Jordan's
military with Amman as well as the United States and European Union. Jordan
has not approved the proposal.
Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon said the government should enable NATO
forces to replace the Israeli military in the West Bank. Ramon has proposed
a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from at least 70 percent of the West Bank.
