Diplomatic sources here reported today that Britain is negotiating with Jordan on a proposal to station British troops in Jordan under the Anglo-Jordanian treaty as a “safeguard against Israel.”
The British have initiated this move, according to these sources, because British troops may have to evacuate the Suez Canal zone and wish to maintain a strong base in the vicinity. Arab reports of the last few days from Egypt said that Arabs objected to the British scheme because it “means the creation of a new British base in the Arab east and in a state which is regarded as the heart of the Arab body.”
The idea of the British troops functioning against Israel was described by the Arabs as a “pretext.” The Arab reports maintain that the British would like to keep troops at Aqaba and strategic locations elsewhere in Jordan.
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