Biden Deploys Record Number of Troops to Jordan in Quiet Buildup
As the war in Gaza rages, the Biden administration has deployed a record number of U.S. troops to Jordan, a new report to Congress reveals. The troop buildup has not been previously reported.
There are now a record 3,813 American troops in Jordan, according to the White House’s war powers report to Congress released on June 7. That’s a 625 troop increase over December, with the number of soldiers and airmen exceeding the number at any time since the second Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq, a review of past war powers reports reveals.
The Biden administration has sought to keep quiet its close military ties to Jordan, with the White House national security council instructing State Department communications officials to avoid mentioning its military coordination with the country in particular, according to internal memos I’ve reviewed. When Iran fired missiles and drones at Israel in April, Jordan was a key partner in shooting them down, and Jordan even allowed Israeli planes to operate in Jordanian airspace. Jordan as a partner of Israel is a particularly sensitive issue, hence the desire on the part of Washington to keep talk of Jordan to a minimum.
The President’s war powers report to Congress is intended to keep the American public informed about situations in which U.S. military forces might find themselves in combat. In the case of Jordan, this isn’t a hypothetical: in January, an Iran-backed militia group killed three American Army soldiers stationed at a secret U.S. military base in Jordan, called Tower-22. Since October 7, Iran-backed groups have launched over 170 attacks on U.S. military assets in Syria, Iraq and Jordan. The Biden administration has repeatedly tried to downplay these attacks, insisting that the Israel-Hamas war has not spread to the rest of the region. The war powers report makes no mention of Iran-backed groups, saying only that U.S. troops are there to “support Defeat-ISIS operations, to enhance Jordan’s security, and to promote regional stability.”
U.S. forces in Jordan have used the host nation as a base for military operations conducted throughout the region. First, the United States maintains an airbase at Muwaffaq Salti, where F-15E Strike Eagles have been forward deployed since October 7 — aircraft that have carried out airstrikes on Iran-backed groups throughout the Middle East. U.S. special operations forces also stage from Jordan in their anti-ISIS campaign, and the United States, along with Jordan, maintains a large special forces training base. Also since October 7, Jordan has also served as the hub for U.S. logistical support to Israel, a home base for special forces and CIA personnel involved in the Hamas war, and as the hub for humanitarian air drops into Gaza.
Exemplifying the closeness of U.S. and Jordan military relations, last month, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted one of the largest joint military exercises in the Middle East in Jordan, called “Eager Lion.” Despite its significance, the Pentagon scarcely mentioned it, with Deputy Press Secretary Sabrinah Singh referencing it just once during a May 16 press briefing. Her remarks made no mention of the uptick in attacks from Iran-backed groups, instead relying on the same sorts of euphemisms that appeared in the administration's war powers report, citing “regional security.”
While the Pentagon provided a breakdown of the number of U.S. troops participating in the 2022 iteration of Eager Lion in a press release, no such breakdown is included in the equivalent press release from last month.
It’s possible the increase in U.S. forces in Jordan is an attempt to compensate for the drawdown of U.S. combat personnel in Iraq, following pressure from the Iraqi government for their withdrawal.
There are plenty of reasons the Biden administration would want to downplay its burgeoning military presence in Jordan. For one, it is home to over two million Palestinian refugees and a constant reminder to the Arab world of the suffering of the Palestinian people. Protests have rocked Jordan in recent months, opposing their government’s cooperation with the U.S. as it arms and assists Israel in the war. Even for authoritarian governments like Jordan, public opposition can be a concern if it is large enough.
Washington euphemistically calls these concerns “host nation sensitivities,” a catch-all term for why the American people don’t need to be provided an explanation — in this case, for why troop levels are rapidly increasing.
But since Jordan is one of the top recipients of U.S. military and economic assistance, and U.S. service members are starting to be killed, the American people are owed an explanation for why troops are being deployed there.
— Edited by William M. Arkin
"U.S. special operations forces also stage from Jordan in their anti-ISIS campaign,"
What is the status of the anti-ISIS campaign? My impression was that ISIS in Syria and Iraq was pretty much eliminated and the biggest remaining issue was repatriation of foreign nationals (including US citizens) who had signed up to fight with ISIS.
Host Genital Sensitivities is what the State Department should call Hunter’s Hog. I want Matthew Miller to answer questions about Host Genital Situations every day until he resigns.