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NEWS ABOUT: Jordan

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200 US Troops Headed to Jordan—and It's a Big Deal

LAT explains it's the first acknowledged step toward military involvement in Syria

(Newser) - Some 200 US troops are headed to Jordan, where some US troops are already stationed. So why is this deployment notable? How it's being played:
  • The Los Angeles Times pulls no punches in its explanation: "The move marks the first deployment that Pentagon officials explicitly described as a
... More »

Syria Rebels Free 21 UN Peacekeepers

Rebel faction held them 4 days, gave in to pressure

(AP) - Syrian rebels today freed 21 UN peacekeepers after holding them hostage for four days, ending a sudden entanglement with the world body that earned those trying to oust President Bashar Assad a flood of negative publicity. The Filipino peacekeepers, part of a force that has spent four decades monitoring an... More »

CIA Nabs bin Laden's Son-in-Law

With a little assist from Turkey

(Newser) - The CIA quietly captured Osama bin Laden's son-in-law last week and spirited him away to the US, a Turkish newspaper reported today. Turkish authorities first seized Sulaiman Abu Ghaith last month at a luxury Ankara hotel thanks to a CIA tip-off, the AFP reports. The CIA had asked Turkey... More »

Rape a 'Weapon of War' in Syria

And a main reason people are fleeing the country, activist group says

(Newser) - Rape is "a significant and disturbing feature of the Syrian civil war," and a major reason refugees are fleeing the country, according to a report released today by a US-based activist group. The International Rescue Committee interviewed refugees in Lebanon and Jordan, and found that many identified rape... More »

At Camp for Syrians, Foreign Suitors Seek Brides

Relief officials say matchmakers are preying on desperation

(Newser) - Many of the Syrians flooding into a refugee camp in Jordan are war widows with young children, a phenomenon that has attracted hordes of matchmakers and older Arab men from other countries looking for brides, reports the Washington Post . Some see it as a blessing—one 19-year-old, for example, accepted... More »

Radical Cleric Leaves UK Prison

Abu Qatada out on bail after deportation effort nixed

(Newser) - As expected, radical cleric Abu Qatada was released on bail from a British prison today, the BBC reports. He had been held for the majority of the past decade; yesterday, however, judges ruled that he couldn't be deported to Jordan for a terror trial because of the country's... More »

Jordan Busts 11 in '9/11 (2)' Terrorist Plot

11 men arrested

(Newser) - Jordan has foiled what it calls a "major terrorist plot," arresting 11 men who were planning a series of attacks they dubbed "9/11 (2)." The men, described as being "associated with the ideology of al-Qaeda," planned to start by attacking diplomats in hotels; then... More »

Eyes on Syria, US Military Now in Jordan

Outpost is closest American presence to Syria

(Newser) - The US military now has a presence in Jordan, less than 35 miles from the Syrian border, that it secretly set up this summer; more than 150 specialists are stationed there. Right now, the mission is focused on helping Jordan deal with tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, but it'... More »

Panetta: Aleppo Attack Is 'Nail in Assad's Coffin'

Hundreds of thousands flee onslaught

(Newser) - As brutal fighting continued for control of Syria's largest city, a furious Leon Panetta vowed that the regime's assault on Aleppo would be a "nail in the coffin" of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Some 200,000 residents have fled the besieged city as rebels battle to hold... More »

US: Syria Mobilizing Chemical Weapons

It's unclear why, but intelligence says part of its stockpile is on the move

(Newser) - Syria is pulling many of its chemical weapons out of storage facilities, for reasons that aren't entirely clear, US officials tell the Wall Street Journal . Some believe Assad is simply moving the weapons to a safer location, or attempting to spook rebel-friendly Sunnis. But others believe he intends to... More »

Politician Pulls Gun on Debate Rival

Threat follows insults, shoe-throwing in Jordan

(Newser) - A live TV debate between a Jordanian lawmaker and a guerrilla-turned-activist deteriorated into a loud volley of accusations ... then the MP whipped out a pistol. And shoe-throwing was involved! A court is considering charges against Mohammed Shawabka after the not-so-diplomatic incident. "He was going to shoot me and he... More »

Dozens Defect Syrian Army as Rebels Cry Genocide

Europe calls for measured response to downed Turkish plane

(Newser) - The Syrian military has been hit with a raft of new defections: Six officers and 33 soldiers today quit the country for Turkey. Reports suggest they brought their families along, bringing the total number to 224 people. Accounts differ as to whether the defectors included an army general. They add... More »

Syrian Pilot Defects With Plane

He's staying in Jordan on 'humanitarian grounds'

(Newser) - A Syrian fighter pilot deserted today—and he took his jet with him. A pilot identified as Colonel Hassan Hamada, 44, went AWOL during a training mission near the Jordanian border today, then landed in Jordan and requested political asylum, Reuters reports. His motives aren't terribly mysterious: His hometown... More »

Snag to Syria Intervention: Assad's Chemical Weapons

US, Jordan working on plans to secure them: Wall Street Journal

(Newser) - As the world community considers what to do about Syria, one serious complication keeps coming up: Bashar al-Assad's huge stockpile of chemical and biological weapons. In fact, the US and Jordan militaries have begun working together on a plan to secure the dozen or so sites where they are... More »

Jordan's King to Syrian Prez: 'Step Down'

King Abdullah's comment is latest blow for Assad

(AP) - Jordan's king said today that Syrian President Bashar Assad should step down for the good of his country, the first Arab leader to publicly make such a call as Syria's neighbors close ranks against an increasingly isolated regime. "If Bashar has the interest of his country, he... More »

Only 10% of Arab World Likes Obama

US more unpopular there now than it was under Bush

(Newser) - You know President Obama’s plan to reach out and win hearts and minds in the Middle East? It’s not going well. In a stunning new Pew Poll spotted by Glenn Greenwald of Salon , only 10% of residents in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates... More »

Bomb Hits Egypt Gas Pipeline

Explosion stops flow of gas to Israel, Jordan

(Newser) - An Egyptian pipeline that supplies gas to Israel and Jordan was rocked by an explosion today, sending flames into the air and sparking a fire that burned for seven hours, cutting off the supply of gas, the BBC reports. Officials say two pickup trucks pulled up to the pumping station;... More »

King Met With Bottle Attack ... or Warm Welcome?

Conflicting reports surround King Abdullah's visit

(AP) - King Abdullah II was met by either tossed bottles and stones or a warm welcome on a visit to Jordan's south today, according to conflicting reports from government officials. A security official said a crowd of youths flung objects at the monarch's motorcade in two incidents in the... More »

Saudis Forming Anti-Shiite 'Club of Kings'

Royal family moves to form alliance against Iran, uprisings

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia is moving to firm up alliances with Sunni nations in a bid to limit Iran’s influence and stem the tide of revolts in the Arab world. It has asked several countries across the Middle East and Asia, including Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to join an informal alliance... More »

Syrian Tanks Roll Into Daraa

Government closes border with Jordan, attacks civilians

(Newser) - Syria closed off its border with Jordan today as troops and tanks poured into the border city of Daraa—the original hotbed of the protests that have erupted across the country. Bodies were seen strewn throughout the streets of the city, witnesses tell Reuters , with one human rights campaigner accusing... More »

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