US helping Jordan deal with possible Syria chemical threat
8/19/2013 3:57:15 PM
The United States is providing Amman with technical assistance against any possible chemical threat from neighbouring Syria, Jordan's prime minister said on Monday.
Abdullah Nsur made the comment at a news conference a day after UN inspectors tasked with investigating whether chemical weapons have been used in the 29-month Syria war arrived in Damascus.
"We are ready for the possibilities of chemical wars. UN investigators are in Syria now, so apparently there are chemical weapons," Nsur told reporters.
"US teams are helping Jordan with this. They provide training and other things should something happens, God forbids," he said giving details on the exact nature of the US assistance.
"We do not know how long the war in Syria will last, but as long as the war is still raging, we need this (US) technical assistance," he added.
Fearing a spillover of the Syrian conflict, the United States has deployed in Jordan F-16 fighters and Patriot missile defences as well as about 1,000 US troops, to protect its close Arab ally.
A team of more than 10 UN inspectors arrived on Sunday in Damascus to begin their hard-won mission which UN officials have said will last two weeks.
Abdullah Nsur made the comment at a news conference a day after UN inspectors tasked with investigating whether chemical weapons have been used in the 29-month Syria war arrived in Damascus.
"We are ready for the possibilities of chemical wars. UN investigators are in Syria now, so apparently there are chemical weapons," Nsur told reporters.
"US teams are helping Jordan with this. They provide training and other things should something happens, God forbids," he said giving details on the exact nature of the US assistance.
"We do not know how long the war in Syria will last, but as long as the war is still raging, we need this (US) technical assistance," he added.
Fearing a spillover of the Syrian conflict, the United States has deployed in Jordan F-16 fighters and Patriot missile defences as well as about 1,000 US troops, to protect its close Arab ally.
A team of more than 10 UN inspectors arrived on Sunday in Damascus to begin their hard-won mission which UN officials have said will last two weeks.