US lawmakers urge Trump to okay drone deal with Jordan

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday voiced appreciation for US support, including military, which it said helps maintain stable borders, an official said Tuesday, as US lawmakers were pressing the administration to approve a high-tech weapons deal with Amman.

"We appreciate the US support including military support ... and the more effective weapons we can get the more [effectively] we can safeguard our security and maintain stable boarders," Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

His remarks came on the backdrop of US news reports that a bipartisan group of nearly two-dozen House members urged US President Donald Trump to approve sales of high-tech armed drones to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

The lawmakers argued that the two Arab countries are allies in the anti-Daesh fight, and “also made an economic pitch to Trump: Jordan and the UAE are turning to China instead to buy armed drones”, the CNN reported, citing a letter it obtained addressed to the president.

"The purchase of the drones from San Diego-based defense contractor General Atomics would provide $1 billion for the US economy and "preserve thousands of US manufacturing jobs," the lawmakers wrote in the letter to Trump, which was led by California Republican Representative Duncan Hunter, according to CNN.

Thursday’s letter was signed by 20 Republicans, mostly from the House Armed Services Committee, and two California Democrats, the report said.

Jordan is part of the US-led coalition to fight Daesh.

In addition to economic aid, the US provided $463 million in military aid to Jordan in 2016 bringing the total of economic and military aid to $1.275 billion.