Jordan marks Great Arab Revolt centennial with parade

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) June 3, 2016 — Jordan has celebrated 100 years since the Great Arab Revolt, led by King Abdullah II’s great-grandfather, with a military parade of troops on camel back, attack helicopters and cannon fire.
At a newly unveiled Martyr’s Memorial, military units stood for inspection Thursday as the monarch walked across parade grounds, saluting troops.
A century ago, Sherif Hussein declared war on the Ottoman Empire, then in control of the Middle East.
His Hashemite family led Arab Bedouin irregulars in a British-backed guerrilla campaign made famous by Lawrence of Arabia.
New national boundaries were drawn across the region, which are now contested in the Islamic State’s bloody quest for a caliphate.
Jordan’s military is a key ally in a U.S.-led military coalition fighting the extremists in Iraq and Syria.