U.S. welcomes UAE decision to base fighter jets in Jordan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States welcomes a decision by the United Arab Emirates to base its F-16 fighter jets in Jordan for operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said on Monday. The UAE had suspended flights as part of the U.S.-led coalition conducting air strikes against Islamic State in view of concerns about search and rescue capabilities after a Jordanian pilot was downed and captured. UAE fighters would now join raids from inside Jordan, a Jordanian army source said on Saturday. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)