Insiders say that, ever since the 1980s, Jordan has sought to resist American requests to pre-position weapons in the country.
The police dismissed earlier reports that they had rented rooms earlier and positioned weapons.
Having positioned weapons they were able to rearm quickly and repel the security forces.
Coalition warplanes dropped precision-guided bombs on militant positions, weapons depots and armored vehicles.
In his response, the Iranian diplomat suggested that the Israeli prime minister's position on weapons of mass destruction was hypocritical as the leader of a nation thought to possess a stockpile of its own nuclear arms.
Even today Mr. Chirac stuck fast to his position that weapons inspections to disarm Iraq are working, denouncing Mr. Bush's ultimatum as a violation of international law and a threat to global stability.
One Pentagon official said today that the administration has evidence that Al Qaeda trained with shoulder-fired missiles; the official also said the government had indications that the terrorist network planned to position those weapons around the globe.
Twelve months ago, when Mr Blair was taking his fateful, allegedly 'tough option' decision to back Bush in Iraq, it seemed much easier than trying to construct a common European position over weapons inspections and opposing the Americans in the cause of using war only as a last resort.
"The Church has a very definite position: when weapons serve to protect the Fatherland, the Church supports both its creators and the soldiers who use it," Mr Volkov was quoted as saying.
When officers wearing badges and guns are sworn to "serve and protect" yet too often use the power of their position, their weapons, and their immunity to oppress, destroy, damage, and discriminate in the name of the law, disproportionately on the bodies and lives of people of color.
