The ongoing conflict in Syria has attracted attention from the global community, and as tension rises between Syria and neighboring Turkey, the United States has sent troops to Jordan in the case war escalates. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently spoke with Jordan to discuss the increasingly volatile situation, according to The Associated Press.
Only about 150 U.S. soldiers have been sent to Jordan thus far, and are currently stationed in capital city of Amman, but they are moving back and forth between the city and the Syrian border. The placement of U.S. troops in Jordan comes amid growing concerns that the conflict in Syria could spill over into NATO countries. The military has also provided Jordan with supplies that are being handed over to the Syrian rebels.
"We have a group of our forces there working to help build a headquarters there and to insure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan [is] a strong one so that we can deal with all the possible consequences of what's happening in Syria," Panetta told reporters, according to the AP.
The conflict in Syria began last March, and has been escalating ever since. Some experts estimate more than 32,000 Syrians have been killed.