BICOM

A report in this morning’s Times claims that Jordan has agreed to allow Israeli drones to enter its airspace in order to monitor developments in neighbouring Syria.

According to the report, the arrangement was brokered last month by US President Obama, during his visit to the region. Yesterday, Yediot Ahronot reported that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently met with Jordan’s King Abdullah to further their cooperation over Syria.

Access to Jordanian airspace would allow Israel’s drones a safe path towards Syria, avoiding a more dangerous flight over Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon. Although it is thought that Israel’s drones would be primarily tasked with collecting information on chemical and conventional weapons movements in Syria, they are also capable of bearing arms. Western leaders have repeatedly expressed concern that Syria’s extensive chemical stockpiles could fall into the hands of dangerous groups such as Hezbollah and US President Obama has described the use of chemical weapons as a “red line.”

The Times report suggests that the Jordanian agreement to allow Israeli drones access to its airspace is part of a wider and closely coordinated plan being devised by the United States, Israel, Jordan and Turkey to prevent the violence in Syria from engulfing the region. An unnamed United States government official is quoted saying “The fallout from Syria is really a regional threat, so we needed a regional alliance to confront it.”

Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon yesterday addressed the danger posed by Syria during a visit by US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel. Ya’alon said that Israel would not let sophisticated weapons be appropriated by “rogue elements.” He also said “When they crossed this red line, we acted,” indicating that Israel had carried out an airstrike on a Syrian arms convoy destined for Lebanon in January.