Military Assistance to Jordan. What Happened to the Peace Dividend?
Abstract
When Jordan signed the peace agreement with Israel in 1994, bringing years of hostilities to an end, expectations were they would also join in the peace dividends' as Egypt and Israel had some years earlier. Egypt and Israel, however, have received billions each in U.S. assistance, while Jordan has received, comparatively, very little. What assistance it has received seems to have done little to modernize their military forces, enhance their national security, or publicly demonstrate the benefits of making peace. The Middle East region has a long history of tension and conflict and attempts by various countries to enable peace have been fraught with many stumbling blocks. The complex history of the region and its peoples further complicates peace initiatives. This paper seeks to provide the reader a brief historical account of major events that have shaped the region and then, building on the knowledge gained from the brief review, examine the disproportionate amounts of military aid given to the three major players in the regional peace process. The United States has used foreign military and economic aid as an important tool of its foreign policy since the early l94Os. This paper explores why a pro-Western, moderate, and stable country like Jordan, one of the key players in an overall Middle East peace plan, comparatively has not received its share of U.S. military aid and hasn't reaped the benefits of the expected "peace dividend". Finally, several recommendations will be proposed with respect to the U.S. policy concerning Jordan and what the U.S. can do to assist our long time friend and ally.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA397472
Entities
People
- Herbert Phillips Jr
Organizations
- Air University