Lobbying 2015: Jordan earns $1 billion bonus for battling IS

Julian Pecquet

A Royal Jordanian Air Force plane takes off from an air base to strike the Islamic state in the Syrian city of Raqqa February 5, 2015. According to the Jordanian government, consecutive airstrikes were launched to demolish strongholds and holes of the terror organisation Daesh. The aircraft attacked positions that include training centres belonging to the terror organisation as well as ammunition warehouses. All the targets that were attacked were destroyed and that the aircrafts returned to their bases saf — A Royal Jordanian Air Force plane takes off from an air base to strike Islamic State militants in the Syrian city of Raqqa, Feb. 5, 2015. — REUTERS

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has earned a billion-dollar bonus from Uncle Sam for taking on all the region's problems.

On Feb. 3, King Abdullah told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that the “gloves are off” after the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) burned one of his pilots alive. That same day, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, signed a three-year agreement to boost military and economic aid to the beleaguered US ally.

Congress has eagerly followed suit.

The pending foreign aid bills in both the House and Senate set aside at least $1 billion for Jordan. The kingdom has benefited from that level of funding — up 50% from a few years ago — since 2014, but the agreement with Kerry makes it formal.

Lobbying 2015: Jordan earns $1 billion bonus for battling IS

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan relies on the US-educated king’s 15-year relationship with top lawmakers and military officials to defend a strategic lynchpin at the heart of the Middle East maelstrom.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish

Read By