Jordan: Background and U.S. Relations

Abstract

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a key U.S. partner in the Middle East. Although the United States and Jordan have never been linked by a formal treaty, the two countries have cooperated on a number of regional and international issues over the years. Jordan remains at peace with Israel and is a key interlocutor with the Palestinians. Jordans strategic importance to the United States is evident given ongoing instability in neighboring Syria and Iraq. Jordan also is a longtime U.S. partner in global counterterrorism operations. U.S.-Jordanian military, intelligence, and diplomatic cooperation seeks to empower political moderates, reduce sectarian conflict, and eliminate terrorist threats. U.S. officials frequently express their support for Jordan. U.S. support has helped Jordan address serious vulnerabilities, both internal and external. Jordans small size and lack of major economic resources have made it dependent on aid from Western and various Arab sources. President Trump has acknowledged Jordans role as a key U.S. partner in countering the Islamic State, as many U.S. policymakers advocate for continued robust U.S. assistance to the kingdom. Annual U.S. aid to Jordan has nearly quadrupled in historical terms over the last 15 years. The United States has provided economic and military aid to Jordan since 1951 and 1957, respectively. Total bilateral U.S. aid (overseen by the Departments of State and Defense) to Jordan through FY2018 amounted to approximately $22 billion. Jordan also hosts over 3,000 U.S. troops. To date, Jordan has withstood the impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) with minimal loss of life (a reported nine deaths), but at a steep cost to its economy. Jordans small size and strong public health system arguably contributed to the countrys ability to manage the pandemic effectively.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 18, 2020
Accession Number
AD1172071

Entities

People

  • Jeremy M. Sharp

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Congress
  • Covid-19
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • Employment
  • Families (Human)
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Foreign Aid
  • Foreign Relations
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Business

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union