Report: Jordan has opened its air space for Israeli drones en route to Syria

[Eugene]

Source: Haaretz

Report: Jordan has opened its air space for Israeli drones en route to Syria

By Haaretz | Apr.22, 2013 | 10:05 AM

Jordan has opened two corridors of its air space to allow unmanned Israeli drones through to monitor the situation in Syria, the French newspaper Le Figaro reported on Sunday.

The report is based on an interview with a Western military source based in the Middle East. There has been no official confirmation from any other source.

The source told Le Figaro that King Abdullah of Jordan decided to open the air space in an unusual gesture, following U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to the region last month. With such permission, Israeli would not have to fly over southern Lebanon en route to monitoring Syria.

Le Figaro said that only a restricted group of Western intelligence sources were aware of the Jordanian decision.

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Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-jordan-has-opened-its-air-space-for-israeli-drones-en-route-to-syria-1.516849

[delrem]

1. No doubt his royal goombah got a photo-op in return...

[azurnoir]

2. No surprise probably part of a deal

US to deploy 200 troops to Jordan over Syria war: minister

The United States plans to deploy 200 troops in Jordan because of "the deteriorating situation" in war-torn Syria, Information Minister Mohammad Momani said on Wednesday.

"The deployment of the troops is part of US-Jordanian military cooperation to boost the Jordanian armed forces in light of the deteriorating situation in Syria," Momani told AFP.

He did not say when the troops were scheduled to arrive in Jordan.

"US and Jordanian officials have been in touch for the past two days. It is still unclear if military equipment and weapons will arrive with the group, who will come to the kingdom in the coming stage."

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