King Abdullah of Jordan Role Profile

[alfranco@mail.utexas.edu]

                   Role Profile for King Abdullah of Jordan

     King Abdullah II is the sovereign ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan,
a constitutional monarchy that shares its western border with Israel. He sees
the Arab-Israeli conflict as a key element in the war on terror, noting that
“the battle against terrorism is not killing terrorists, it’s trying to solve
the root cause of terror. The root cause of terror in our part of the world is
the core problem, which is the Israeli-Palestinian issue.” Abdullah sees a
viable Palestinian state as the only solution to the conflict, noting that
viable is the key word. Abdullah sees stability in the Middle East as the main
contributor to stability in his own country, which could lead to foreign
investment and economic reform, a key issue for his administration. However,
this support for an Arab state is tempered with some worry that a united
Islamic population could undermine the authority of Abdullah’s more secular
regime. 

Role Notes: 

    King Abdullah is unlikely to send troops to Iraq because of delicate
political and nationalist ties. For example, Jordan, comprised mostly of Sunni
Muslims, supported Iraq in the Iran-Iraq war. He also has said that many Arab
countries surrounding Iraq have their own plans for the country, and to
contribute troops to a country with shared borders would be unseemly, since it
would look like a land grab. 

     He is vocally supportive of the U.S. role in the Iraq war, even while
leveling criticism at specific policies of the Bush administration.  He would
like more guidance from the U.S. in the war on terror, viewing Bush’s attention
on the issue as a major catalyst for change, as well as increased financial
support for his efforts to combat terrorism at home. 

     He has written op-ed pieces to newspapers worldwide, in which he advocates
a more tolerant Islam, and stresses his disgust with violent extremists. He has
a practical plan to combat extremism, which includes the creation of a master’s
program for religious studies. However, his fight with fundamentalists at home
has led to criticism that he is stifling free speech in a supposedly democratic
government. According to a BBC report, “Criticizing the king is still
unheard-of
in the Jordanian media.”

     The majority of Jordanians are, at best, critical of Abdullah’s
pro-western
stance. (Up to three million of its citizens are Palestinians, one million of
whom are still classified as refugees from past Arab-Israeli wars.) However,
the king has unwavering loyalty from the Jordanian security forces, which
retain tight control over potential threats.  Any decision he makes regarding
Israel will have to take these factors into account.

Political Allies and Opponents:

     Up to 1970, Israel was a major threat to Jordanian security, but since the
loss of the West Bank, and Israel’s aid in repressing the PLO, which threatened
internal stability, they have retained a pragmatically peaceful relationship. 

     The 1994 peace treaty with Israel secured Jordan’s role as a key player in
the peace process, and it has participated in all multilateral peace talks
since then. This has angered many in the regional community, who see Jordan as
a traitor to Arab unity.

	Jordan maintains a tenuous alliance with the Arab world, due to its ties with
Israel, Turkey and the West. For every move Jordan makes toward collaboration
with Israel, it worsens its relationship with Syria. One point of contention:
Syria is still unhappy with Israeli occupation of Golan Heights, and accuses
Jordan of ceding the West bank too easily. Jordan also accuses Syria of holding
over 700 of its citizens captive without justification.

Physical Description and Background:

     King Abdullah has a slight British accent, and conducts himself as a well
educated professional, having gone to secondary school in the U.S. and military
school at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the U.K. He was born on
January 30, 1962, and ascended to the throne on February 7, 1999, upon the
death of this father, King Hussein. He has a shrewd eye for public relations,
representing himself in publicity photos as a rough hewn soldier in military
garb, a traditional monarch, an Arab nationalist and a continental
businessman.

Role Profile Abdullah.doc