“We here at the IAF believe that this is an unjust and evil war,” he told Arab News. “America has set its sights on the Arab and Muslim world in its entirety. What is happening in Baghdad is only the beginning of their plans for a total occupation of our region.”

Rumors and theories are rampant on the streets of Amman regarding the motives behind “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” with many dismissing the US claim that Iraq is in possession of weapons of mass destruction.

“It is an invasion with the purpose of occupation,” says Mansour. “Their intention is to redraw the map of our region and in the process impose their un-Islamic culture and values. This is a threat to our civilization and a means of solidifying a Zionist presence in Iraq.”

People in Jordan’s streets are angry and restless, which does not surprise Mansour.

“The Arab street is boiling, and those who do not feel this way are not true Arabs or honest Muslims. Some of us seem to believe that true salvation lies with the American government, and not with almighty God.”

The IAF is currently on a big media campaign to get its message to as many people as possible.

“We have sent numerous statements to the local press, one of which calls on all Muslim brethren to defend Iraq. And it says that those who support the invaders are traitors,” Mansour explained.

Regarding the expulsion of the Iraqi diplomats, Mansour said the authorities “expelled these honorable diplomats when in reality they should have expelled all Zionist, American and British diplomats.”

A Jordanian official told Arab News that four Iraqis were detained and questioned yesterday. “Iraqis employed by Iraqi Airways and a joint Iraqi-Jordanian transport company, were detained by the authorities, questioned and then released yesterday,” said the official, who would not give details on the nature of the questioning but emphasized that they were not guilty of anything. The official was clarifying a statement made by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri — made at the Arab ministerial meeting in Cairo — accusing Jordan of arresting the Iraqis.

Mansour would also like to see all of Iraq’s borders to be opened for jihad.

“All Muslims should defend the Islamic religion,” he said. “The government should not only open the borders for that purpose, but should also stop setting up refugee camps and supply our people with weapons so that we can beat the threat from the new crusaders.”

The government, he said, is currently stopping Jordanian volunteers from crossing the border.

“We’ve asked them seriously to reconsider that decision,” he said.

About the progress of the war, Mansour stated that he remains “optimistic.”

“This struggle against the invaders will not only take place in the battle fields of Iraq, but also in the rest of the world — and we’ve recently seen evidence of that in Kuwait and Yemen.”

In another development, Jordan’s Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb said yesterday his pro-Western country was not lending covert military support to Washington’s war effort against Iraq.

Abu Al-Ragheb told reporters neither its territory nor airfields along its eastern border with Iraq were part of Washington’s military drive, launched four days ago, to overthrow President Saddam Hussein. “Jordan is not a party to this conflict. There is no activity inside Jordan against Iraq,” he said.

The only US troops in Jordan were operating Patriot anti-missile units to defend the country’s airspace, Abu Al-Ragheb said, refusing to disclose their numbers.

Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said the US would not be allowed to move troops to Jordan in the wake of Turkey’s refusal to allow US troops there. “US troops will not be given access to enter Jordan instead of northern Turkey,” he said.

Western diplomats say Jordan, wedged between Israel and Iraq, has given logistical aid to US military special forces operating in western Iraq. Jordanian officials denied media reports that US and British troops wanted use of Jordanian and Israeli airspace to launch airstrikes on Iraq from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean.