By Ibrahim Qobaylat
AMMAN
Islamist leaders in Jordan have criticized their country's participation in a U.S.-led air offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria after the military confirmed it had carried out airstrikes on Tuesday against the militant group.
"These strikes should have been directed at the Jews, who just pounded Gaza and killed its people," Jordanian salafist leader Mohamed al-Shalabi told Anadolu Agency.
Describing the anti-ISIL campaign as "a new crusade," al-Shalabi asserted that it was "haram" (religiously prohibited) for Muslims to join the offensive.
"These are Western agendas that aim to undermine Islam," he said.
Zaki Bani Arshid, deputy leader of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, for his part, reiterated his group's rejection of Jordan's participation in the campaign.
"This is not our war; we aren't interested in fighting on others' behalf," he told AA.
Jordan on Tuesday confirmed that its aircraft had taken part in the U.S.-led air offensive against ISIL targets in Syria.
The same day, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the U.S. and partner nations had carried out airstrikes against the militant group in Syria – the first time for the U.S. to strike targets in the war-torn country.
Jordan's participation in the strikes sent shockwaves through the country, with some experts fearing the move could draw retaliatory attacks on Jordanian targets.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, Information Minister Mohamed al-Momani said Jordan's participation in the campaign was aimed at ending the threat posed by militant groups in Jordanian border areas near Iraq and Syria.
He added that Jordan had decided to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIL following several attempts by the latter to breach its borders.
Fayez al-Duweiri, a Jordanian military expert, disagreed with this assessment, however, warning of the cost Jordan would likely have to pay for contributing to the campaign.
"The cost of Jordanian intervention will be heavy," al-Duweiri told AA. "Jordan has never been a target of ISIL, which focuses more on Syria, Iraq and Lebanon."
Now, he said, Jordanian forces should be extra vigilant along the border with Syria, which stretches over 375km, and with Iraq, the border of which extends for 180km.
"The ISIL controls areas which share 250km of the borderline with Jordan, which provides a spacious, uninhabited area for the group's vehicles to penetrate and maneuver past Jordanian border guards," he noted.
Al-Duweiri also noted reports about the presence of 2,000 Jordanian nationals within the ranks of the ISIL and the Al-Nusra Front, saying these could be used to carry out terrorist attacks in the kingdom.
Besides, he said, there were 5,000 ISIL sympathizers in Jordan who could also threaten the country's security.
But Hassan Abu Haniyeh, an expert on Islamist movements, believes the ISIL will not look for revenge –at least not for the time being.
"The ISIL is now behaving like a state, not like an organization," he told AA. "They are adopting a different strategy now based on the geopolitical situation, not on tit-for-tat [attacks]."
"The organization [ISIL] would rather focus right now on absorbing the impact of the blow," he added.
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