U.S. military sends task force of 150 to Jordan to advise on Syria
The United States military has secretly sent a task force of more than 150 planners and other specialists to Jordan to help the armed forces there handle a flood of Syrian refugees, prepare for the possibility that Syria will lose control of its chemical weapons and be positioned should the turmoil in Syria expand into a wider conflict.
The task force, which has been led by a senior American officer, is based at a Jordanian military training center built into an old rock quarry north of Amman. It is now largely focused on helping Jordanians handle the estimated 180,000 Syrian refugees who have crossed the border and are severely straining the country’s resources.
American officials familiar with the operation said the mission also includes drawing up plans to try to insulate Jordan, an important American ally in the region, from the upheaval in Syria and to avoid the kind of clashes now occurring along the border of Syria and Turkey.
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But not one to Benghazi.
rbj on October 10, 2012 at 12:38 PM
What could possibly go wrong?
Flange on October 10, 2012 at 12:39 PM
Advisors.
Right. We all know how this ends.
BobMbx on October 10, 2012 at 12:39 PM
Remember that our involvement in Vietnam started with “advisors,” just like this.
Zombie on October 10, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Should be a big help in getting shipments of U.S. arms to the Muslim Brotherhood rebels. I wonder why Barry wants it kept secret.
a capella on October 10, 2012 at 12:40 PM
Not so secret anymore.
Thanks, NYT.
Washington Nearsider on October 10, 2012 at 12:41 PM
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
mojo on October 10, 2012 at 12:41 PM
That’s actually President Obama who sent them to Jordan. Generals don’t move resources around without running it up the chain of command.
And yeah…Vietnam started with “advisors.”
Mitoch55 on October 10, 2012 at 12:43 PM
Well I just pray that those in jordan don’t start killing our military as they are being killed in afghanistan helping those sub-humans out?
L
letget on October 10, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Reagan tried this back in the 80s about 70 miles down the road. As I recall, it turned out badly.
tommyboy on October 10, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Yeah I read this off of Drudge.
Seems like a bunch of these Syrian “refugees” got mad and trashed their camp the other day. I’d just round em up and push them back into Syria, thanks so much for dumping on our(Jordanian) hospitality.
We are there to detect chem weapons. And gather other soviet/chinese hw as may be seen/found.
orbitalair on October 10, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Jordan is our one friend other than Israel in the area. This is a smart move, except for this: “The task force, which has been led by a senior American officer, is based at a Jordanian military training center built into an old rock quarry north of Amman.“ I hope that site was not chosen by the same fool who had us build a doomed military base in an Afghanistan canyon/valley.
elfman on October 10, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Hooray for the immorality of interventionism!
Dante on October 10, 2012 at 1:10 PM
“And it’s one, two, three;
What’re we fightin’ for?”
davidk on October 10, 2012 at 1:32 PM
Military advisors….wait…I remember (because I’m old enough to) when that didn’t work out so well….
I wish the best for our men and women in the Armed Forces…I hope we can get you a new commander Real Soon Now who understands the value of what you do and what you sacrifice for our country.
ProfShadow on October 10, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Say, will Obama side with the King, who, like in Egypt, has been a friend of the USA, or will he side with his muzzie brotherhood?
Schadenfreude on October 10, 2012 at 1:56 PM
I have a bad feeling about this.
dogsoldier on October 10, 2012 at 2:38 PM
A halfrican dunce who can’t do anything better but follow Bush’s policies.
MelonCollie on October 10, 2012 at 5:48 PM