Jordan to host major military exercise

Jordan is to host a major military exercise with more than 15,000 soldiers from 18 countries, including the United States. A Jordanian military official speaking on condition of anonymity stated that, besides the United States, other countries sending military personnel for the two-week "Eager Lion 2013" military exercise include Britain, Bahrain, Canada, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, The Tehran Times reported. The Eager Lion 12 operations are the largest recurring, annual exercise in U.S. military's Central Command and designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships. Exercise Eager Lion 12, also in Jordan, ran May 8-30, 2012 and involved 11,000 personnel from 19 countries. Since 2008 Jordan has received $2.4 billion in U.S. military and economic aid but its resources have become strained by the influx of refugees -- currently more than 500,000 -- fleeing civil war in neighboring Syria.