Abdullah meets with Francs, Burns, Jordan asks for American missiles
Jordan-USA, Politics, 1/24/2003

The Jordanian King Abdullah II yesterday asked the US for an air defense system during talks in Amman with the commander of the American forces in the Gulf region Tommy Francs and US Department of States Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs head, Assistant Secretary William Joseph Burns.

The Jordanian minister of information Muhammad Affash al-Edwan said that the visit of Gen. Francs and Burns to Jordan has no connection, whatsoever, with the American military build up against Iraq. He stressed it is just a courtesy visit falls in the course of the tour held by each of Francs and Burns to several countries in the region.

The Jordanian news agency Petra said that the king informed Francs who is expected to lead any likely invasion of Iraq, and who is visiting the country that Jordan is persistent to buy an air defense system "to maintain control of its airspace and protect it against any foreign intervention." The agency said that the Jordanian army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Khaled al-Sareyra asked Gen. Francs to provide Jordan with an American air defense system during the meeting with the American official.

Official said that Jordan refused an American request from Washington to provide Jordan with an advanced system of anti-missile Patriot batteries. One official relates the rejection to the concern over the danger of having Americans train Jordanians to operate the system at a time when anti- American sentiments are increasing among the public.

At least since two years, Jordan has been making talks with Russian officials in order to get long- range surface- air missile system of type S-300 which are able to repel any Iraqi or Israeli threats.

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