A Royal Decree was issued on Tuesday appointing Lt. General Mashal Mohammad Al Zaben as chairman of the joint chiefs-of-staff as of 23 February 2010.

In a letter addressed to the newly appointed Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) chairman, King Abdullah expressed his confidence in Zaben, underlining the importance of his mission.

“I know that your responsibilities will be large, and I am fully confident that you are capable of undertaking the responsibility,” the King wrote.

King Abdullah stressed the importance of the JAF, saying they safeguard the cpimtrus security, sovereignty and stability.

He also underlined the importance of the JAF's training and armament, saying that their enhancement “should be done in accordance with a clear plan and a modern and comprehensive vision of what the army should be like, at present and in the future”.

As for the living conditions of military personnel, the King emphasised that they should have all their needs met and enjoy a decent standard of living.

Zaben replied with a letter in which he pledged to work on a plan to modernise the army and supply it with state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.