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Jordan's King Abdullah Visits Washington
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Schenker - Jordan's King Abdullah arrived in Washington on Monday for meetings with the new administration. While the king may emphasize the issue of moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, his country has more acute problems. The past year saw a spike in terrorist incidents inside Jordan, including an attack in December by homegrown terrorists in Karak that killed 13 and injured 34. Jordan is a major base of U.S. air operations for the campaign in Syria, a key intelligence sharing partner, and a leading Arab ally in the battle of ideas against radical Islam. The U.S. provided $1.6 billion in military and economic assistance to Jordan last year. Any further U.S. contributions to preserving a stable Jordan at peace with Israel would be a sound investment. The writer is director of the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute.