Jordan: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues

Publication Date: April 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Abstract:

Several issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations are likely to figure in decisions by Congress and the Administration on future aid to and cooperation with Jordan. These include the stability of the Jordanian regime, democratic reform under way in Jordan, the role of Jordan in the Arab-Israeli peace process, Jordan's concerns over the U.S.-led campaign against Iraq in 2003, and its relations with other regional states. Following the 9/11 attacks, Jordan issued bans on banking operations linked to terrorist activities and pursued individuals linked to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda organization. Jordan also sent military medical and mine clearing units to Afghanistan in December 2001 to support the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism, and a field hospital to Iraq in April 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jordan is also helping train Iraqi police and military personnel in Iraq's newly organized security forces. Jordan has been targeted on several occasions by Al Qaeda affiliates, most recently on November 9, 2005, when near simultaneous explosions at three western-owned hotels in the Jordanian capital of Amman killed 58 persons. A group allied with bin Laden and known as "Al Qaeda in Iraq", headed by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility.

On October 24, 2000, the United States and Jordan signed a free trade agreement. On September 28, 2001, President Bush signed a bill to implement the agreement (H.R. 2603) as P.L. 107-43.

In each of the five fiscal years 1998 through 2002, Jordan received approximately $225 million in annual U.S. assistance. Jordan received $450 million in FY2003, plus over a billion dollars in a supplemental to help Jordan deal with added expenses resulting from the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

The Administration requested $250 million in economic assistance and $206 million in military assistance for Jordan in FY2004 and FY2005. These amounts were included in consolidated appropriations acts for these two fiscal years (P.L. 108-199, January 23, 2004, and P.L. 108-447, December 8, 2004). In addition, the Administration requested $100 million in economic assistance for Jordan in FY2004 supplemental funds and $200 million (split evenly between economic and military assistance) for Jordan in FY2005 supplemental funds. These amounts were included in supplemental appropriations for the two fiscal years (P.L. 108-106, November 6, 2003, and P.L. 109-13, May 11, 2005).

The Administration requested $250 million in economic and $206 million in military aid for Jordan in FY2006. These amounts were contained in both the House and Senate versions of H.R. 3057, the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for FY2006. Military aid was increased slightly to $210 million in the conference report (H.Rept. 109265), which the President signed on November 14, 2005 as P.L. 109-102. The Administration's FY2007 request includes $245 million in ESF and $206 million in FMF.