Britain to Evacuate Arab Legion During Withdrawal from Palestine, Foreign Office Says

A Foreign Office spokesman today declared that units of the Arab Legion, the Transjordan army now used by the British in Palestine, will be withdrawn during the British evacuation. However, he refused to give the date of the withdrawal of the Legion, which he said was “borrowed” by Britain for its present assignment.

In response to a question as to why John Glubb, British commander of the Legion, is listed as a civil servant of Palestine, the spokesman said he did not understand the reason for it, adding that Glubb is a Transjordanian officer. The Foreign Office official was commenting on a statement by Transjordan’s King Abdullah that he intended to keep the Arab Legion in Palestine after the partition of Palestine.