On Thursday, December 21, during his visit to Jordan, the French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated Christmas with French soldiers at an airbase in Jordan.
The visit, aimed at "highlighting France's enduring commitment to counterterrorism," according to the Elysée Palace, marks his second visit to the region in less than two months. On October 25, Macron traveled to Amman to express solidarity with Israel following the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood conducted by Palestinian resistance forces in the Gaza envelope on October 7.
Social media accounts shared a video featuring Macron with French soldiers, claiming that France is revealing its military base in Jordan, sparking widespread anger among Jordanians and Arabs. The propagandists claimed that Macron's visit to his forces stationed at the Al-Ruwaished Jordanian base came as a shock to Arabs, who either did not know or did not want to acknowledge the existence of this base on their soil, as it is perceived to protect Israel.
Is There a French Military Base in Jordan To Protect Israel?
On December 21 and 22, Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, journeyed to the Jordanian desert, where a military air base housing French troops is located.
On his official X account, Macron posted a video celebrating with French soldiers, stating, "It is a great honor to stand by your side, conveying the gratitude of our homeland. And to tell you on its behalf that it recognizes how much your families miss you."
The Elysée Palace announced the visit on December 15, stating that “Macron intended to host a dinner, prepared by the head chef of the presidential kitchens, for 350 soldiers participating from this base in counterterrorism efforts,” as part of Operation Chammal.
Military Base in Jordan for the Chammal Forces
Since its launch on September 19, 2014, Operation Chammal stands as France's significant contribution to the global initiative known as “Operation Inherent Resolve,” in which 80 countries and five international organizations participated. The operation provides military support to Iraqi forces engaged in the fight against ISIS.
According to the French Ministry of Defense, the support and advisory missions carried out by the international coalition aim to "empower the Iraqi political and military authorities to ensure the security of their country independently."
France has deployed around 600 French soldiers to the region as part of this coalition. It emphasizes that 'in coordination with the Iraqi government and allies on the ground, France provides military support to local forces engaged in the fight against the Islamic State on their territory."
French officers actively participate in diverse strategic, operational, and tactical structures, deployed in Iraq (Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan), Syria, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. The force includes ten Dassault Rafale fighter jets (four stationed in Jordan and the remainder in the UAE) and one frigate (positioned in the Mediterranean Sea). Radar, surveillance, and refueling aircraft perform their missions intermittently.
The air base in Jordan has been part of Operation Chammal since 2015, hosting Special Operations Command forces and Dassault Rafale fighter jets that engage in intelligence, reconnaissance, and occasional strike missions.
French Military Operation Chammal in Iraq and Syria
According to the French Ministry of Defense, since the start of Operation Chammal in September 2014, the French army has executed 1,570 airstrikes, resulting in the destruction of 2,400 targets in Iraq and Syria.
In early January 2022, the international coalition forces in Iraq ceased ground military operations.
"The operation has evolved, with a current emphasis on providing advice, assistance, and facilitation tasks for the Iraqi forces," according to the Élysée. It further noted that the supporting strikes for the Iraqi forces have become now 'few in number."
According to French news reports, this marks the first time the French president has visited an Air Force planned air base (BAP) on Christmas. In December 2022, he visited the navy on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle off the coast of Egypt. In previous years, he made several trips to Africa, Chad, and Ivory Coast, where the French army was involved in military operations purportedly aimed at combating terrorism.
According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, Macron initially proposed forming a similar alliance against Hamas after the October 7 attack in Israel but later reconsidered due to the lack of positive support in the region.
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