More than 130 prominent citizens of Jordan have demanded the withdrawal of US troops stationed in the country and the cancellation of, or at least restrictions on, the existing military cooperation agreement with the United States. Politicians, academics, cultural figures, labor leaders and tribal representatives made the call to the government in a joint statement.
The statement said Jordan was not party to any regional war, so using its territory for a foreign military presence or as part of a regional conflict was a risk to national security and sovereignty. The signatories said that, in the current Middle East situation, a foreign troop presence could turn Jordan into a potential target for attack.
They also said an urgent review of the defense cooperation agreement signed with the United States in 2021 was overdue. If necessary, they said, the agreement should be cancelled or amended so that Jordan’s independent decision-making and national interests were fully protected.
The call came at a time when US-Iran tensions in the Middle East have risen again and US military installations have come under attack in several places. Analysts said public opinion inside Jordan over the presence of foreign troops had grown more sensitive as a result.
The Jordanian government has previously said the US forces in the country operate under a bilateral defense cooperation agreement as part of counterterrorism and joint security cooperation, and that the presence is managed with respect for Jordan’s sovereignty.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report