U.S. amassing troop presence in Jordan

[rambone]

...as war with Syria looms...


Jordan says 900 US troops boost defense in country

Some 900 U.S. military personnel, including dozens staying on from joint military drills, are in Jordan to bolster its defense and prevent the Syrian civil war from spreading across its border, Jordan's prime minister said Saturday.

It was the first time a Jordanian official disclosed publicly the numbers of U.S. troops in the Arab kingdom, sent there in recent weeks for military exercises and other deployments.

Abdullah Ensour told reporters Saturday that 200 of the personnel were experts training Jordanians to handle a chemical attack. The remaining 700 are manning a Patriot missile defense system and F-16 fighter jets which Washington deployed this month in case the Syrian war worsens.

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