Foreign Minister Ayman Safdi declared in parliament: "This is the fruit of lengthy negotiations" • The Islamists were furious: "Bypass Parliament and violate sovereignty - the agreement should be annulled"
King Abdullah
Photo:
IPI
Diplomatic achievement for Jordan:
Foreign Minister Ayman Safdi informed the parliament in Amman today (Sunday) that the Hashemite Kingdom has signed a defense agreement with the US that allows Washington to flow forces, planes and military vehicles into the country. "This is the fruit of protracted negotiations," Safdi said.
The agreement was signed in January and the Jordanian government approved it last month, exceptionally, bypassing parliament.
The royal decree on the subject was published this week in the official journal of the kingdom.
Under the terms of the agreement, U.S. forces can patrol armed men in the line of duty in Jordan.
At the same time, the United States will be allowed to store weapons, aircraft and vehicles in the country, as well as "enter and exit Jordan freely."
Netanyahu's speech at the signing ceremony of the Avraham agreements / Archive photo: GPO
Apparently, the source of the decision is King Abdullah's fear of the Muslim Brotherhood - and his desire for the presence of American forces as an "insurance certificate" for him.
An example of a Sunni kingdom whose permanent U.S. base is ending its stability is Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet base is located.
Those who were outraged at the bypassing of parliamentary powers are, of course, the Islamists.
"The government should cancel the agreement," Islamist MP Saleh al-Aramuti said.
"The agreement is contrary to Jordanian law and violates our sovereignty," he said.
Safdi did not accept his remarks, claiming that "the agreement does not affect our sovereignty in any way. It is subject to Jordanian law and conforms to international law. The agreement does not authorize American forces to carry out hostilities within the kingdom."
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safdi / Photo: AFP
The Jordanian foreign minister added that the agreement was intended to "frame" security cooperation between the two countries, under which the United States provides $ 425 million in military assistance to the kingdom each year, and to "strengthen US support for the kingdom's defense and security programs through training and military equipment."