Jordan is bracing itself for a spillover effect from the 2-year-old Syrian crisis that could have devastating consequences on the Hashemite Kingdom. There is a sense of apprehension in the capital Amman, especially after beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued what many interpreted as a brazen warning to Jordan. Assad accused Jordan of allowing thousands of fighters to cross the border into Syria, where armed rebels have been battling the regular army in an attempt to bring an end to the Baathist regime in Damascus.
Assad said that the crisis in Syria will not be limited to his country, adding that “the fire will not stop at our borders; the world knows Jordan is just as exposed as Syria.” It was not the first time that the Syrian president had pointed the finger at Amman for aiding the rebels. Jordanian Salafist groups have often said that hundreds of their followers were fighting against the regime in Syria. Few are known to have been killed there. The Western media had talked about weapon shipments, bought in Croatia by Gulf states, being sent across the Jordan borders to Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups in the south of Syria.
