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Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh
"Our presence in Afghanistan today is twofold," Judeh told reporters during a press briefing with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Number one, to combat terrorism and the root causes of terrorism, but also to help out in the humanitarian effort that is needed there," Jordan's top diplomat said.
"And I would like to say that our presence in Afghanistan will be enhanced and increased in the coming phase. This is something that is ongoing. Jordan was one of the first countries there," he said.
"We are not only part of a network of countries that are trying to assist Afghanistan and Afghanis, but also trying to combat terror and terrorism," Judeh said.
"But we're also there to defend Jordan's national interests and... to defend Jordanians and safeguard them against this growing threat," he said.
After the attack at the US base in Khost, near the Pakistani border, Western diplomats said that the revelation of Jordanian involvement in a US intelligence operation in Afghanistan was a blow for the Amman government.
"Jordan is likely to be embarrassed by the fact that Captain Ali's death has revealed its cooperation with the CIA, which is not going to go down well with a predominantly anti-American public opinion," one Western diplomat told AFP.
Information Minister Nabil Sharif earlier rejected as "baseless" reports that the bomber was Jordanian and again denied a Jordanian role in the coalition operations in Afghanistan.
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"Number one, to combat terrorism and the root causes of terrorism, but also to help out in the humanitarian effort that is needed there," Jordan's top diplomat said.
"And I would like to say that our presence in Afghanistan will be enhanced and increased in the coming phase. This is something that is ongoing. Jordan was one of the first countries there," he said.
"We are not only part of a network of countries that are trying to assist Afghanistan and Afghanis, but also trying to combat terror and terrorism," Judeh said.
"But we're also there to defend Jordan's national interests and... to defend Jordanians and safeguard them against this growing threat," he said.
After the attack at the US base in Khost, near the Pakistani border, Western diplomats said that the revelation of Jordanian involvement in a US intelligence operation in Afghanistan was a blow for the Amman government.
"Jordan is likely to be embarrassed by the fact that Captain Ali's death has revealed its cooperation with the CIA, which is not going to go down well with a predominantly anti-American public opinion," one Western diplomat told AFP.
Information Minister Nabil Sharif earlier rejected as "baseless" reports that the bomber was Jordanian and again denied a Jordanian role in the coalition operations in Afghanistan.
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