Jordan bids to change US stance

By Michael Brabant
BBC, in Jordan

King Abdullah's alliance with Washington is proving risky for Jordan

Jordan's King Abdullah is heading to Washington today to urge US President George W Bush to reconsider the support he has gave Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

The King abruptly called off a meeting at the White House last month after Mr Bush publicly backed Israel's proposals to withdraw from the Gaza Strip but to keep large settlements blocs in the occupied West Bank.

The president also backed Israel's rejection of the Palestinian refugees' right of return to their homes in what is now Israel.

Jordan itself is home to more than 1.7 million Palestinian refugees.

More worrying, political experts are warning that Jordan is now facing a serious threat from Islamic extremists and that the nation's future stability is in jeopardy.

Last month, Jordanian security forces said they had thwarted a plot by al-Qaeda to carry out a series of major suicide attacks involving chemical bombs.

Jordanian script

In a planned war game, machine-gunners riding atop armoured cars let rip at a truck trying to sneak Islamic militants into Jordan through the sand barrier and trenches that divide the Hashemite Kingdom from Iraq.

As the Jordanian army closes in, the truck brakes and a couple of passengers try to make a dash for it, tumbling in the dirt.

Naturally, the Jordanian soldiers win because they wrote the script.

Their commanding officer, Colonel Ghaleb al-Hamaide, insists that in real life, they are also managing to keep would-be insurgents at bay.

"From the Jordanian side, the border is 100% secure. I'm very confident of that," he says.

Jordan is a discreet yet vital partner in America's war against terror.

This security operation along the border is protecting the US rear in Iraq.

But the alliance between Amman and Washington is proving to be a risky one for Jordan, even though it benefits from $900m in US aid each year.

'Dangerous consequences'

Critics say that President Bush inflicted serious damage on Jordan and King Abdullah by his statement to Ariel Sharon last month.

In the president's view as explained on 14 April, Palestinian refugees should have no right of return to land that is now Israel, which means 1.7m Palestinians sheltering in Jordan will have to stay put.

I think the King of Jordan needs more political help, needs more political assistance from the US, more than what he's getting, especially on the issues related to Palestine and Iraq Political analyst Dr Labib Qamhawi

Political analyst Dr Labib Qamhawi says American policy towards Jordan makes no sense.

"It's not logical at all," he says.

"Many people [wonder why] the American administration is adopting Jordan as an example to be followed by other Arab states and at the same time adopting policies that [put] the existence of Jordanian state... in jeopardy because of its political stance on issues like right-of-return for the Palestinian people and the settlements in the occupied territories," he says.

"These issues are detrimental for the security and well-being of Jordan."

Dr Abdul Latif Arabiat is a former head of Jordan's Islamic Front political group and he also thinks that Sharon's plans have dangerous consequences for Jordan.

"Well, what's the next step?" he asks.

"The next step [is] that the people of Palestine will come to Jordan and Jordan will also suffer from new refugees, new refugees who will suffer from the dangerous situation according to the Sharon plan."

Extremism fears

In Amman's main mosque, the message is one that would delight President Bush's hawkish inner circle.

Dr Musa Nasr: Preaching peace becoming increasingly difficult

The exiled Palestinian cleric, Dr Mohammed Musa Nasr, tells his followers that maintaining national security is a way of getting closer to God.

But outside the mosque, Dr Musa Nasr says preaching peace is becoming increasingly difficult as America is no longer trusted by Arabs as an even-handed Middle East broker.

"Mr Bush's acts, as in killing Muslims in Afghanistan, killing Muslims in Iraq, Muslims in Falluja and killing Muslims in Palestine are having the effect of pushing many Muslims into the hands of extremists," he warns.

As he heads to Washington, King Abdullah will have to use all his persuasive powers to urge President Bush to reconsider his support for the Sharon plan.

As Dr Qamhawi explains, King Abdullah's very survival could be at stake.

"I think the King of Jordan needs more political help, needs more political assistance from the United States, more than what he's getting, especially on the issues related to Palestine and Iraq," he says.

"Otherwise, the regime will be more and more in jeopardy and the stability of Jordan might be endangered as well."

But will President Bush take heed of these warnings?

The fear in Amman is that, if he does not change his policies, the only beneficiaries will be extremists, who argue that moderation and compliance with Washington are futile.