Recent media report in Monrovia that the United States government is not comfortable with having Jordanians to manage Ground Handling at the Roberts International Airport in Liberia appears to be cheap propaganda, as the U.S. Department of State expresses explicit confidence in Jordan, which it describes as a close partner on a range of diplomatic and security challenges.
A State Department Fact Sheet dated March 6, 2019 details how both countries partnered in Syria, combating violent extremism, and advancing Middle East peace. “Jordan’s stability and security is a priority for the United States, which has provided assistance to Jordan’s security efforts since the late 1960s”, the U.S. government notes.
The Fact Sheet continues that the United States and Jordan have memorialized bilateral foreign assistance in three non-binding Memoranda of Understanding for the Fiscal Years 2010-2014, 2015-2017 and 2018-2022, demonstrating a strong, multi-year U.S. commitment to Jordan’s security and stability.
The U.S. State Department says the MOUs outline areas of critical security and economic cooperation, while simultaneously helping Jordan to mitigate the effects of regional crisis, including the strain of refugees from Syria and Iraq on Jordan’s budget.
It says Jordan is the third largest recipient of Foreign Military Financing fuynds globally and the second largest recipient of Department of Defense (DoD) Section 333 funding within the CENTCOM area of responsibility, assistance that promotes States and DoD collaboration on security assistance goals.
U.S. military assistance broadly supports the Jordan Armed Forces’ (JAF) ability to: secure its borders; counter terrorist threats; participate in coalition operations, and defend Jordan’s national territory. Jordan received $604 million in FY 2017 and $502 million in FY 2018 in combined State and DoD security assistance and cooperation funds”, says the United States Government.
