The U.S. confirmed today that military spore ports and ammunition will be air-lifted to Jordan “within the next week or ten days” against the background of continuing tension along the Jordanian-Syrian border.
State Department spokesman John Trattner said “The Pentagon confirmed this morning that the U.S. has agreed, at Jordan’s request, to accelerate deliveries of some items already in the pipeline; spares, ammunitions, small arms munitions already on order. I don’t have any other details about the material we are sending,” he said.
He added, “You can assume the decision was made on the highest level in the last 24 hours. Deliveries will be made on approximately five flights of C-141 aircraft arriving (in Jordan) sometime within the next week or ten days.”
Trattner stated that “On the general situation we remain hopeful that the tension on that border can be resolved through diplomacy.” However, he could not say whether the tensions are easing. Asked if there had been some withdrawals of troop concentrations, Trattner said he did not have “any confirmation that there has been an agreement or any additional strength added to the border area by either side or any confirmation that anything has been taken away by either side.”
AUTHORIZATION BILL PASSED
In another development today, the Senate and the House passed the foreign aid authorization bill for fiscal year 1981. It provides Israel with $785 million in economic support funds and $1.4 billion in military sales credits. Egypt will received $750 million in economic support funds and $550 million in military sales credits. It will receive an additional $274 million in food grants under Public Law 480.
Jordan is to receive $50 million in economic support funds and $50 million in military sales credits.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
