Jordan will not allow attacking Syria from its territory

Jordan's Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour reiterated that the Kingdom will not allow any strike on Syria from its territory, affirming that the Patriot missiles and F-16 fighter jets which will remain in Jordan are defensive. Meeting with a number of editors and writers last night, the Jordanian Premier underlined that there were no US troops in the Jordanian territory. He added that the Kingdom will not impose the no-fly zone on Syria from the Jordanian side. On Saturday, Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammed Momani announced that Jordan has asked the United States to transfer to its armed forces some weapons used in the "Eager Lion" joint military exercise. The minister, who is also the government spokesperson, said the weapons include Patriot missiles and F16 fighter jets. This request, he noted, comes as part of the ongoing efforts to improve the Jordanian army's military and defense capabilities. "The weapons will be managed and supervised by the Jordanian Armed Forces, with technical support by US experts," Momani added. Over the past few weeks, Prime Minister Ensour has reiterated Jordan's request to obtain advanced defensive weapons from the US.