WORLD_ Jordan seeking U.S. help on border with Syria

Jordan seeking U.S. help on border with Syria

Jim Michaels, USA TODAY 3:29 p.m. EDT August 14, 2013


The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is meeting with leaders this week in Israel and Jordan, key regional allies, to discuss a range of issues.


AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan is seeking U.S. help in bolstering security on its border with Syria in an effort to prevent the civil war there from spilling over and destabilizing this key regional ally, the top U.S. military commander said during a visit here.

"I came over here to literally ask, 'What can we do?' " Gen. Martin Dempsey said Wednesday after a round of meetings with King Abdullah and Dempsey's counterpart, Gen. Mashal Al-Zaben. "He gave me a list of things and I'll carry those back."

Jordan is interested in having manned U.S. surveillance aircraft help monitor the border. The United States has the capability to merge surveillance video with other information to provide a comprehensive intelligence picture.

Jordan also wants the United States to continue providing training for Jordan's special operations forces and assistance in caring for about 500,000 Syrian refugees who have streamed across the border since the fighting in Syria began more than two years ago.

Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is meeting with leaders this week in Israel and Jordan, key regional allies, to discuss a range of issues. Concerns about violence in Syria weigh heavily on officials in both countries.

Unlike Washington, where the debate over Syria has centered on establishing no-fly zones or arming rebels, officials in the region seemed skeptical of direct military intervention.

"We didn't talk about direct military intervention," Dempsey said after a round of meetings in Jordan. "That never came up."

Instead, Dempsey's talks focused on bolstering the defenses of key allies in the region and efforts to support moderates among the disparate opposition groups fighting to overthrow Bashar Assad in Syria.

Officials see that as a way to counterbalance the power of extremist groups, including some affiliated with al-Qaeda, and a way of preparing the way for a post-Assad government.

Leaders in the region remain concerned about the chaos that would likely follow Assad's ouster.

Analysts say opposition groups are too fragmented now to be able to assume control of the country if Assad is ousted.

"After Assad is going to be a lot worse than what's happening now," said Ramzy Mardini, an independent analyst based in Jordan.

Syria already resembles a failed state in the grips of competing warlords, said a senior Israeli defense official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The official voiced skepticism that any direct military intervention would be helpful.

"You always have to ask yourself … then what?" he said. "Does it create a better reality?"

Dempsey said those viewing the Syrian conflict in the region see a more complex problem than those who view it from a great distance.

"The people who live in the region very clearly see … this is not about choosing one side or the other," Dempsey said. "It's about choosing potentially one side among several others."

"The complexity becomes clearer the closer you get to it," he said.

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