NATO assists Jordan in enhancing its anti-terrorism capabilities

Combating terrorism in the twenty-first century is a complex endeavor requiring the full and active participation of both civilian and military institutions. From 8-12 January 2023, NATO taught Jordan Armed Forces to advance the establishment of a government-wide anti-terrorism strategy.

Thirty participants from the Jordan Armed Forces and the Jordan Military Center for Counter Terrorism and Extremism (MCCTE) participated in the first-ever NATO Counter-Terrorism programme to train trainers.

As the key entity responsible for bolstering the government-wide anti-terrorism strategy, training was conducted at the Center itself. Since 2014, Jordan has been a beneficiary of the Defense and Related Security Capacity Building (DCB) Initiative of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This civil-military programme was adapted to Jordan’s priorities within the framework of the DCB Initiative. It covered current and emerging terrorist challenges, the use of technology in terrorism, terrorist tactics and strategies, terrorist methods in cyberspace, and women, peace, and security in the context of terrorism.

In his introductory remarks, Colonel Amjad Al-Hrout, Commander of Jordan MCCTE, emphasized that “the work of the militaries in the fight against terrorism is important, but insufficient to defeat this threat on a sustainable basis.” “Civilian-military courses such as the NATO Train-the-Trainer program are therefore essential to develop a more comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism and to strengthen our society’s resilience,” he continued.

The content was derived from the NATO Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum (CTRC), which was developed by a team of 110 experts from around the world. The CTRC provides high-level expertise on contemporary terrorist challenges and promotes effective tools for developing Counter-Terrorism strategies in NATO partner countries and beyond.

The program also intends to improve the country’s training capabilities. It is the initial step toward the conduct of cooperative training by NATO and the Jordanian Armed Forces for countries in the greater Middle East and North Africa region. The program also facilitated the exchange of knowledge and experience between NATO and the Jordanian Armed Forces, contributing to a safer and more resilient environment against terrorism.

At the start of the training on 8 January, the Head of the Counter Terrorism Section at NATO Headquarters, Gabriele Cascone, praised Jordan for “bringing together the international community in the fight against Terrorism and being a pioneer in cooperation with NATO in counter-terrorism.”

The NATO DCB Initiative was inaugurated at the NATO Summit in Wales in September 2014. It assists allies in enhancing their defense and security capacities, as well as their resilience, thereby contributing to the Alliance’s security.