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The Future of Jordan


(Hudson Institute-New York) Khaled Abu Toameh - Jordan's King Abdullah II has good reason to be worried about the future of the monarchy in the Hashemite Kingdom. Many of the kingdom's tribes, which make up nearly 40% of the population, do not see the appointment of the new prime minister as a step in the right direction. It is hard to see how the king would be able to survive without the support of these tribes, which have long been supportive of the royal family in Amman. "The Tunisian and Egyptian hurricane will come to Jordan, sooner or later," said a statement signed by 36 tribe leaders. "We express regret over the fact that the regime has surrounded itself with a group of corrupt commercial partners. Jordan is suffering from a regime and government crisis, as well as a crisis of corruption." The statement is seen as a huge challenge to King Abdullah II. Some Jordanians fear that radical Muslims have managed to "infiltrate" many tribes, inciting them against the monarch and turning them into a tool in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood. But the tribes' discontent with the monarchy is not the only challenge. Poverty and deprivation have driven many of the Palestinians living in the kingdom into the open arms of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood - two groups that would like to see an Islamic "caliphate" replace the royal family. If the Palestinians revolt and bring down the monarchy, Jordan could become a Palestinian state. The Palestinians, under such circumstances, would end up with three states: one in the West Bank, a second in Gaza and a third in Jordan.
2011-02-09 00:00:00
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