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New Challenges for Jordan
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11444 |
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CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
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4 / 1994 |
2,331 Words |
| Author
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Lawrence Tal
Lawrence Tal is John M. Olin Fellow at Oxford University,
England. |
During the Persian Gulf War of 1991, anti-American feelings erupted in the pro-Western Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Instead of suppressing popular demonstrations against U.S. military intervention in Kuwait, King Hussein allowed them to continue and benefited from an upsurge in his popularity in Jordan and the Arab world. Many Americans, however, could not understand why a man who has been a friend of the United States for four decades opposed Operation Desert Storm. After all, Hussein was educated in the West; has an American wife, Queen Noor; and has long advocated a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Hussein's position during the Gulf War, like his other policies during the past 41 years, was designed to protect Jordanian interests by striking a balance between internal and external forces. Hussein--as the region's longest-serving head of state--is a master player of the dangerous game of Middle Eastern politics. He has survived numerous assassination attempts, direct involvement in two Arab-Israeli wars, a violent civil war, and a host of other difficulties that nearly cost him his throne.
Despite Hussein's past successes, he faces new challenges that are prompting some American observers to question Jordan's ability to survive the coming years. Jordan's location--between Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia--makes it a geostrategic buffer state and essential to U.S. interests in the Middle East. The peace accord signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) will have significant ramifications for Jordan, a country with a large Palestinian population. Some believe that Jordan will eventually become a Palestinian state, a "substitute homeland" for the Palestinians.
Another challenge is the growth of Islamic activism in Jordan. Thus far, Hussein has proven adept at neutralizing the Islamic movement, but Jordan's economic plight could increase support for radical Islamists. With Islamic movements gaining steam in Algeria and Egypt, some American policymakers and scholars think Jordan will have difficulty withstanding the forces of Islamic activism.
A HISTORICAL STRUGGLE
Closer examination of Jordan's situation reveals that fears that the kingdom will become either a Palestinian or an Islamic state (or both) in the near future are exaggerated. In particular, Jordan's involvement with the Palestinian issue is often misreported or ignored by the American media. Contrary to the belief often propagated
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