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Jordan border chief: Islamic State jihadis try to sneak in, blend in with refugees

Aug 17, 2015 8:53 am By Robert Spencer

Saber al-MahayrehBut remember: if you raise the possibility that this could be happening with the massive influx of “refugees” into Europe, you’re a racist, bigoted “Islamophobe.”

“AP Interview: Jordan border chief says Syria militants try to sneak in, blend in with refugees,” by Karin Laub, Associated Press, August 16, 2015:

ON THE SYRIA BORDER, Jordan (AP) — Militants have tried to sneak into Jordan from Syria by blending in with Syrian refugees, while smugglers have stepped up efforts to bring weapons and drugs into the kingdom, the commander of Jordan’s Border Guard said in an interview Sunday.

Over the past year, Western ally Jordan has been thrust onto the front lines of the battle against Islamic State extremists who have seized one-third of neighboring Syria and Iraq. Jordan’s role, including participation in a U.S.-led campaign of air strikes on IS targets, has raised concerns the kingdom could be targeted by the militants.

The commander of the Border Guard, Brig. Gen. Saber al-Mahayreh, told The Associated Press that his forces have so far blocked all infiltrators and smugglers, but that he expects more attempts because of the deteriorating security situation in Syria and Iraq.

This month, Syrian smugglers were intercepted by his forces with more than one ton of drugs, including hashish, and automatic weapons, he said, adding that it was one of the largest busts to date.

Jordan’s borders are monitored by a partially U.S.-funded surveillance system of drones, radar and watch towers that can “spot a rabbit” trying to cross into the country, the commander said.

Border guards can potentially detect suspected infiltrators as far as 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the border, he said. The images sent back from the border area are monitored in operations rooms in Jordan, including at the Border Guard headquarters on the outskirts of the northern town of Zarqa.

“It is not possible for any terrorist groups to enter Jordan,” he said at the headquarters…..

The Syrian uprising began in March 2011 with mostly peaceful protests and escalated into a civil war after a brutal government crackdown. More than 4 million Syrians have fled the country, including about 630,000 who settled in Jordan. In Iraq, weakened by sectarian strife, Islamic State launched its swift land grab a year ago.

At the height of the Syrian refugee crisis in 2012 and 2013, hundreds entered Jordan every day at informal crossing points along the border.

Since then, Jordan has tightened control, reducing the number of potential entry points from 45 to five, including three along the western stretch of the border for wounded people and two on the eastern stretch for refugees, said another border officer, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

Jordan strictly screens refugees because of security concerns, said al-Mahayreh, the commander.

“Sometimes, terrorist groups try to enter (Jordan) among the refugees, as individuals, and exploit the refugees,” he said. Jordan’s security is a priority and refugees are questioned and searched to weed out potential militants, he said.

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Filed Under: Jordan, Syria Tagged With: Saber al-Mahayreh


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Comments

  1. Matthieu Baudin says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 9:15 am

    Plain speaking and honest comments from a man just doing his job. I wish we had more with his calibre over here.

    • Marty says

      Aug 18, 2015 at 9:20 am

      Jordan may be a muslim state in terms of its majority population,
      but it is also pro Western, and by local standards, very tolerant.
      I saw a TV interview with the King which I can only describe as
      inspiring.
      Many border guards in Europe, especially the UK, do not live up to
      their description.
      They are either corrupt, lazy or side with immigrants

  2. Brian says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 9:27 am

    And of course the same is happening with all those “refugees” and illegal migrants in to Europe.

  3. Baucent says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 9:38 am

    “It is not possible for any terrorist groups to enter Jordan,” he said at the headquarters…..

    Sounds like “famous last words”.

    But want may be more to the point is the home grown terrorists getting their inspiration from the internet. Difficult to stop that getting into Jordan.

  4. mortimer says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 10:16 am

    Brig. Gen. Saber al-Mahayreh is a ‘racist’ and ‘Islamophobic’ for saying terrorists are sneaking in with refugees.

    (sarc off)

    Obviously, the concern about terrorists sneaking in is GENUINE and based on FACT.

  5. Jay Boo says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 10:21 am

    The scary thing is that they are probably much better coached on the finer points of scamming the system than the ordinary refugee. They have no doubt been given a thoroughly researched ‘victim’ of persecution script to memorize and know the rules of asylum status better than even the immigration authorities.

  6. Angemon says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Jordan’s role, including participation in a U.S.-led campaign of air strikes on IS targets, has raised concerns the kingdom could be targeted by the militants.

    You mean, targeted sooner – Jordan is not a fully-fledged sharia state whose ruler swore allegiance to the caliph. It was only a matter of time until the islamic state set is eyes on Jordan.

    Jordan’s borders are monitored by a partially U.S.-funded surveillance system of drones, radar and watch towers that can “spot a rabbit” trying to cross into the country, the commander said.

    Too bad the US doesn’t fund such a system on their southern border…

    “It is not possible for any terrorist groups to enter Jordan,” he said at the headquarters…..

    I’d like to say we Europeans should ask their border guards to coach whoever is screening the “refugees” coming in through the Mediterranean, but there’s just two problems: a) I’d prefer to trust an Israeli force and b9 I doubt anyone is screening the “refugees” – it would be “xenophobic”, “islamophobic”, and “racist” to do such a thing because, you see, everyone knows that everyone trying to get is is a poor refugee from a war-torn nation, thanks to the meddling of the US and EU on their states.

    “Sometimes, terrorist groups try to enter (Jordan) among the refugees, as individuals, and exploit the refugees,” he said. Jordan’s security is a priority and refugees are questioned and searched to weed out potential militants, he said.

    That’s just common sense. Which, unfortunately, is not so common in the West nowadays…

  7. Arthur says

    Aug 17, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    “Jordan’s borders are monitored by a partially U.S.-funded surveillance system of drones, radar and watch towers that can “spot a rabbit” trying to cross into the country, the commander said.”

    Apparently US surveillance equipment works much better in Jordan than in Arizona. Methinks he may exaggerate, if ever so slightly, the effectiveness of his border guard.

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