Jordan–United States relations
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Jordan – United States relations covers the bilateral relations between Jordan and the United States.
History
Relations between the U.S. and Jordan have been close for over four decades. U.S. policy seeks to reinforce Jordan's commitment to peace, stability, and moderation. The peace process and Jordan's opposition to terrorism parallel and indirectly assist wider U.S. interests. Accordingly, through economic and military assistance and through close political cooperation, the United States has helped Jordan maintain its stability and prosperity.[1]
Since its inception, Jordan has relied on sponsorship from major Western powers. Great Britain filled this role until the late 1940s; the U.S. stepped in during the 1950s. During the Gulf War of 1991, Jordan tried to solve the situation in an Arabian framework[clarification needed] that the U.S. interpreted as pro-Iraq. As a result, the U.S. started monitoring the Jordan's only ocean port, Aqaba, to prevent any supplies from reaching Iraq. Jordan suffered financial hardships for this, and attitudes toward the U.S. only improved during the Madrid Conference of 1991, where the U.S. deemed Jordanian participation as essential.[2]
Programs
Since 1952, the United States has provided Jordan with economic assistance totaling more than $9 billion ($1.3 billion in loans and $7.7 billion in grants), including funds for development projects, health care, education, construction to increase water availability, support for microeconomic policy shifts toward a more completely free market system, and both grant and loan acquisition of U.S. agriculture commodities. These programs have been successful and have contributed to Jordanian stability while strengthening the bilateral relationship. U.S. military assistance—provision of material and training—is designed to meet Jordan's legitimate defense needs, including preservation of border integrity and regional stability. Jordan signed a Threshold Agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in October 2006, and was subsequently deemed by the MCC to be eligible for a Compact Agreement in recognition of the country's progress on economic, social, and political reform indicators.[1]
As of 2013, the United States had given the GID over $3.3 billion in aid over the previous five years, with another $200 million pledged for the Syrian refugee crisis.[3] The Jordanian intelligence agency, the General Intelligence Directorate (GID), is a close partner of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[3]
Embassy
Principal U.S. Officials include:
- Ambassador--Stuart E. Jones
- Deputy Chief of Mission—Stephanie T. Williams
The U.S. Embassy in Jordan is located in Abdoun, Amman.
Friends of Jordan Caucus
In the United States Congress, the Friends of Jordan Caucus was launched March 6, 2009 with the presence of Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania. The mission of the Caucus is to support a strong relationship between Jordan and the United States and to facilitate the exchange of ideas between Members of the House of Representatives and Jordanian officials. The new bipartisan caucus seeks to strengthen bilateral relations between Jordan and the US. The caucus will be co-chaired by Congressmen Schiff and Boustany, and Congressmen Baird and Fortenberry (R-NE) will serve as vice-chairs.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b "U.S. Relations With Jordan" Background Notes
- ^ Elayyan, Hani Ismael (2007). "Jordan". In Levinson, David; Christensen, Karen (eds.). Global Perspectives on the United States: A Nation by Nation Survey. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing Group, Volume 1. pp. 350–4. ISBN 978-1-933782-06-5.
- ^ a b Eells, Josh (19 July 2013). "Sleep-Away Camp for Postmodern Cowboys". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
Jordan's intelligence agency, the G.I.D., is a close partner of the C.I.A. in the Arab world, and over the past five years, the United States has given Jordan more than $3.3 billion in aid and pledged an additional $200 million to help cope with the refugees who have poured over the Syrian border since August.
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS267790+06-Mar-2008+PRN20080306
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
Further reading
- Bunch, Clea. The United States and Jordan: Middle East Diplomacy during the Cold War (London: I. B. Tauris, 2013. 288 pp.
External links
- Interview with King Hussein about Jordan - U.S. relations from the Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives
- History of Jordan - U.S. relations
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