Then why don't the Jordanian people kick 'em out. Yankee Go Home! You dummy, you know why they can't.
AFP - Jordanians are suspicious about US weapons and troops being deployed to the kingdom, even if Washington seeks to help its ally protect itself from a possible spillover of Syrian violence, experts say.
Worried about the security of Jordan, which is already struggling to cope with around 550,000 refugees from its war-torn northern neighbour, the United States has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country since a joint military exercise ended on June 20.
A US defence official has told AFP that Washington has expanded its military presence in the country to 1,000 troops.
"Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom," analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, told AFP.
"For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbours, which would impact the country itself."
Rintawi said Jordan is a key US regional ally that is still stable and secure.
"For the Americans, protecting that stability is key and at the core of their strategy in the Middle East.
"But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country."
US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Amman on Friday on another errand -- to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, as he sought to revive stalled Middle East peace talks.
Jordan has repeatedly said it does not seek to interfere in Syria's affairs.
Last week, Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur denied a Los Angeles Times report that the Central Intelligence Agency and US special forces have been training Syrian rebels at a new American desert base in southwest Jordan.
"There is no training in our country whatsoever of Syrian opposition forces... the only Syrians we are dealing with in our country are refugees," he told journalists.
MP Khalil Atiyeh, deputy house speaker, says lawmakers reject the presence of foreign forces. More>>
Jordanians 'suspicious' about US military deployment
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| Jordanian security guards patrol the entrance to Zaatari refugee camp, near the border with Syria, on August 15, 2012. |
Worried about the security of Jordan, which is already struggling to cope with around 550,000 refugees from its war-torn northern neighbour, the United States has kept F-16 warplanes and Patriot missiles in the country since a joint military exercise ended on June 20.
A US defence official has told AFP that Washington has expanded its military presence in the country to 1,000 troops.
"Jordanians do not feel comfortable about the presence of US troops, weapons and equipment in the kingdom," analyst Oraib Rintawi, who runs the Al-Quds Centre for Political Studies, told AFP.
"For Jordanians, the US military presence is linked to plots and conspiracies against their neighbours, which would impact the country itself."
Rintawi said Jordan is a key US regional ally that is still stable and secure.
"For the Americans, protecting that stability is key and at the core of their strategy in the Middle East.
"But public opinion here does not welcome the Americans, even if they say they want to protect the country."
US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Amman on Friday on another errand -- to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, as he sought to revive stalled Middle East peace talks.
Jordan has repeatedly said it does not seek to interfere in Syria's affairs.
Last week, Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur denied a Los Angeles Times report that the Central Intelligence Agency and US special forces have been training Syrian rebels at a new American desert base in southwest Jordan.
"There is no training in our country whatsoever of Syrian opposition forces... the only Syrians we are dealing with in our country are refugees," he told journalists.
MP Khalil Atiyeh, deputy house speaker, says lawmakers reject the presence of foreign forces. More>>
