Editing Arab Legion (section)

==Creation==
In October 1920, after taking over the [[Transjordan region]] from the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]], the [[United Kingdom]] formed a unit of 150 men called the "Mobile Force", under the command of Captain [[Frederick Gerard Peake]], to defend the territory against both internal and external threats.<ref>Pollack, Kenneth, ''Arabs at War'', [[Council on Foreign Relations]]/University of Nebraska Press, 2002, p.267</ref> The Mobile Force was based in [[Zarqa]]. 80% of its men were drawn from the [[Chechens in Jordan|local Chechen community]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Pike, John |url= http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2000/01/chechen98/261.htm |title=The Chechen Chronicles '98 |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |access-date=2014-05-13}}</ref>
[[File:030Arab.jpg|thumb|left|The Arab army during the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire, which formed the nucleus of the Arab Legion]]
[[File:Legionnaires guards gladiators.jpg|thumb|left|Arab Legion in Iraq during the [[Anglo-Iraqi War]] in 1941]]

It was quickly expanded to 1,000 men, recruiting Arabs who had served in the [[Ottoman Army (1861–1922)|Ottoman Army]]. On 22 October 1923, the police were merged with the Reserve Mobile Force, still under Peake, who was now an employee of the [[Emirate of Transjordan]]. The new force was named ''Al Jeish al Arabi'' ("the Arab Army") but was always known officially in English as the Arab Legion. The Arab Legion was financed by Britain and commanded by British officers.<ref>Shlaim, Avi (2007), ''Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace'', Allen Lane, {{ISBN|978-0-7139-9777-4}}, p.17</ref> The Legion was formed as a police force to keep order among the tribes of Transjordan and to guard the important [[Jerusalem]]–[[Amman]] road.

On 1 April 1926, the [[Transjordan Frontier Force]] was formed from cadre drawn from the Arab Legion. It consisted of only 150 men and most of them were stationed along Transjordan's roads. During this time the Arab Legion was reduced to 900 men and was also stripped of its machine guns, artillery, and communications troops.

In 1939, [[John Bagot Glubb]], better known as "Glubb [[Pasha]]", became the Legion's commander, with [[Major-general (United Kingdom)|Major General]] Abdul Qadir Pasha Al Jundi as his deputy commander. Together they transformed it into the best-trained Arab army.