The United States military has sent a covert task force to the Jordan-Syrian border to help the country’s military deal with Syrian refugees and help with the crisis in the neighboring country.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday confirmed that a U.S. taskforce is working alongside Jordan to monitor Syria’s cache of chemical and biological weapons, reported The Associated Press.
“We have a group of our forces there working to help build a headquarters there and to insure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one so that we can deal with all the possible consequences of what’s happening in Syria,” said Panetta, who is in Brussels for a NATO meeting.
Pentagon spokesman George Little, also in Brussels, added that “there are various scenarios” the United States is preparing for in the event the violence in Syria, which has killed an estimated 30,000 people since March 2011, spills into neighboring countries like Jordan.
The move comes as Turkey told Syria on Wednesday that it would respond with “even stronger” force if mortars from Syria fall in Turkish territory, reported the Hurriyet Daily News. Turkish General Necdet Ozel said, “We are here, and we are standing tall.”
Last week, a Syrian shell fell on a house in Akcakale, killing a family of five and prompting Turkey to strike targets in Syria for several consecutive days, while authorizing sending troops across the border if the situation deteriorates further.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
