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| Iraq-Jordan |
| New US Supply Line Through Jordan |
| 2005-09-14 |
| DEBKA, yes, but just a pinch o'salt, I think. DEBKAfile’s Exclusive sources in Eilat report that a new US fuel supply line to Iraq began operating through Jordan last month. Every few days, a US supertanker puts in at the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba and transfers the oil to escorted overland convoys cutting through the Hashemite Kingdom to US forces in different parts of Iraq. Jordan provides the port installations (built with financing from the defunct Saddam Hussein regime); Israel, the port tugboats and a naval-aerial protective umbrella. Our Eilat sources report that the Israeli tugboats are fitted with state of the art navigational electronic gear for guiding the supertankers into harbor for unloading and then out to sea. They access Jordanian port waters for this operation. However the Israeli naval-air force umbrella provides environmental protection without entering Jordanian air space or waters. Our sources report that Israeli transport minister Meir Shitrit paid an unpublicized visit to Eilat last week to inspect the protective shield for the new US oil route. According to DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources, the July 23 al Qaeda Katyusha attack on Aqaba and Eilat was planned to disrupt this route by blowing up the first US supertanker due to enter Aqaba port the night before. The two US warships which the rockets missed were there to escort the tanker. *NaCl* LHD and LSD as escort? I dunno. Port security, maybe, or setting up security along the land route. This attack held up the start of the new route until the new protective measures were put in place in September. Except the one (possible) error I noted, I think the article is correct. The Katyusha attack now fits. And it's a Big Deal, for two reasons. 1.CENTCOM is confident enough of its control over al Anbar province to set up an Main Supply Route that runs through it. 2.CENTCOM now has an alternate MSR. There's been an uptick in bomb/mortars/what have you around Basra. I think Tehran's getting frisky again. It would be much harder for Iran to interdict an West to East supply line than a South to North. There's also Hormuz to consider. The important thing about this isn't the volume moving through Aqaba, not immediately. The important thing is the fact that King Abdullah is willing to allow coalition supplies to move through Jordan. |
| Posted by:Hupavirt Thump3835 |
| #6 This is old. Jordan has been a supply line into Western Iraq since the first day Coalition forces entered. |
| Posted by: ed 2005-09-14 20:15 |
| #5 Jordan showing it is in "the war on terror." Not an easy thing to do. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-14 20:01 |
| #4 Mistranslation. Should be "fuel", as in "refined products ready to go into Bradleys etc.". |
| Posted by: Omerens Omaigum2983 2005-09-14 18:29 |
| #3 Every few days, a US supertanker puts in at the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba and transfers the oil to escorted overland convoys cutting through the Hashemite Kingdom to US forces in different parts of Iraq. Talk about bringing coal to Newcastle. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-09-14 16:20 |
| #2 It would be strategically smart to run another supply rout through Jordan. I take with salt, but it does make sense if Jordan allows it. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-09-14 16:14 |
| #1 "The important thing is the fact that King Abdullah is willing to allow coalition supplies to move through Jordan." A point not missed by Al Qaeda, especially Zarqawi. They claimed the attack meaning they have better information than we do, as we are just hearing about it. Wise and courageous of the King. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2005-09-14 10:50 |