Nato is deepening its involvement in Jordan, in moves that can only sharpen the tensions among the powers involved in the Middle East, argues Chris Bambery 

Nato is the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The Arab kingdom of Jordan is some considerable way from the North Atlantic. Nato is not going to let that get in its way and last week it signed an agreement with the Hashemite kingdom, establishing a Nato liaison office in the Jordanian capital, Amman. 

A joint statement by Nato and Jordan explained the decision thus: ‘This decision, following the intent expressed in the Communiqué of the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July 2023, clearly marks a significant milestone in the deep strategic partnership between Jordan and the Alliance. It acknowledges Jordan’s significant role as a beacon of stability in both regional and global contexts, and as a long-time champion in fighting transnational threats, including terrorism and violent extremism. 

The Office, acting as a representative office, will bring NATO and Jordan closer, by enhancing political dialogue and practical cooperation in areas of common interest between the Alliance and Jordan. It will enable regular engagement between NATO and the Jordanian authorities …’. It concludes by stating, ‘the opening of a NATO Liaison Office in Amman is a natural progression of the longstanding relationship between NATO and Jordan, which will only continue to grow.’ 

Speaking in Jordan’s capital Amman, Nato’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Wednesday: 

‘Jordan is a long-standing, highly-valued Nato partner and by establishing the Nato liaison office we are bringing this partnership to a new level. It also demonstrates that Nato actually addresses the threats and the challenges but also the opportunities that emanates [sic] from the Middle East, from North Africa.’ Jordan has been a member of Nato’s Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) partnership forum since 1995. Its army has worked closely with Nato forces and has taken part in United Nation’s peacekeeping missions, including in Libya, Afghanistan and Kosovo. The US maintains several military bases in the kingdom. 

Last Autumn, Javier Colomina, Nato’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, stated: ‘We are learning from the Jordanian armed forces as they have extensive experience and are one of the best-equipped forces in counter-terrorism.’ Four weeks before, the Chair of the Nato Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, called for high-level talks with the Jordanian chiefs of staff. Bauer pointed out: ‘Our forces have served together side by side in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, over Libya, and Jordanian troops participate in the NATO Response Force.’ 

Admiral Bauer extended Nato’s gratitude to Jordan for hosting the Nato Defence Capacity Building training activities for Iraq at the King Abdullah’s Special Operations Training Centre (KASOTC). In 2018, Nato and Jordan signed a joint Defence Capacity Building Project (DCB). The project is designed to help strengthen Jordan’s borders, and to develop its abilities in cyber defence. There are some 3000 American military personnel based in Jordan. 

Jordan allows Nato extensive use of its Muwaffaq Salti Airbase near Azraq, which has become increasingly important as the Turkish role in Nato – and specifically that of Incirlik Air Base – is now less certain. Jordan plays a critical role as a forward staging area and supply route to Nato military forces in Iraq. 

Frontline of escalation 

In January, Iraqi Shi’a militias carried out a drone attack on Tower 22, a little-discussed U.S. military desert outpost in north-eastern Jordan, killing three American troops and injuring at least 34 others there. Tower 22 is home to US engineering, aviation, logistics and security troops with about 350 US Army and Air Force personnel deployed there. The base’s location offers a means to infiltrate and quietly leave Syria. A small American garrison at al-Tanf in Syria is just twenty kilometres (twelve miles) north of Tower 22, sitting along a Syrian highway leading into Iraq and ultimately Mosul, once a prominent base of the Islamic State group. It’s also a potential weapons shipment route from Iran to Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. 

In April this year, Jordan shot down Iranian drones en route to Israel and allowed France to use its military base at Al-Ruwaished to down the Iranian drones. The Jordanian public only discovered France had had a base there since 2015 when President Emmanuel Macron arrived on the spot to celebrate last Christmas! The Hashemite Kingdom also permitted Israeli fighter jets to enter Jordan’s airspace and intercept the Iranian missiles. 

Britain has close relations with the Jordanian royal family and military; Britain created the monarchy in the wake of the First World War, effectively dividing Palestine. British armed forces regularly hold joint military exercises there. 

Why is Jordan so keen on having a Nato presence inside its borders? In July of last Year The Jordan Times explained: ‘Jordan, which faces new security challenges with militias on its borders, narcotrafficking, weapons smuggling and the potential resurgence of terrorism needs to explore all the possible options to enhance its border security and counter-terrorism capacity. At the same time, the announcement of such a step comes at a very delicate moment where NATO is engaged by supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia. In that context, a NATO office in Jordan would also serve as a further ring fence of Russia’s military presence in Syria, which Jordan has been dealing with for almost a decade.’ 

So, the claim is that Jordan wants Nato because the Russians have bases in Syria, Jordan’s neighbour, and Jordan fears its support for Ukraine might leave it exposed to a supposed Russian threat.  In fact, Abdullah’s real fear is Iran and its allies, the Shi’a militias in Syria and Iraq. Both Moscow and Tehran will see the new office as further evidence of Nato expansion aimed at both countries. It is another step towards escalating the West’s proxy war with Russia and drawing it and Iran closer. 

By extending Jordan’s military ties to the USA and Nato, King Abdullah is putting his own rule in danger. There is massive popular support for the Palestinians and revulsion at the near 40,000 deaths in Gaza in a country where nearly half the population are of Palestinian origin. There have been massive demonstrations in solidarity with the people of Gaza and demands for road links to Israel, which bring it vital food and other supplies, to be closed. 

There is plenty of economic discontent as well. Unemployment sits at around 22 percent; among university graduates its 26 percent. For many, many Jordanians it is thoroughly objectionable that Jordan is allowing itself to be used as a frontline Western base and its continuing honouring of its treaty with Israel, which recognised the Zionist state. Doing only that is not sustainable.