As 17 other nations opt out of ‘Eager Lion’ drills, Jordanian general downplays their absence
![US Major General Ralph H. Groover (R) and Jordanian Brigadier General Fahed Al-Damen shake hands following a press conference about the 2016 "Eager Lion" joint military exercise in Amman, on May 15, 2016. (AFP PHOTO / KHALIL MAZRAAWI)](http://cdn.timesofisrael.com/uploads/2016/05/000_AP2EV-e1463318842334-635x357.jpg)
Only Jordan and the United States are to take part in this year’s Eager Lion military exercise, commanders said on Sunday, compared with the 18 nations that participated last year.
A total of 6,000 troops will undertake 10 days of maneuvers in the kingdom — 3,000 from each country and including special forces as well as air, ground and naval forces, Brigadier General Ralph Groover said.
Jordan’s Brigadier General Fahd al-Damen said nothing should be read into the absence of other participating countries this year.
“This exercise was from the outset a bilateral event but in recent years we organized multilateral maneuvers at the request of other countries,” he told a news conference.
As reported by The Times of Israel