Jordanian dictatorship, Washington’s ally

This video is called Jordan protest 25 March [2011] Zaid al Khawaldeh, Part 1.

By Jean Shaoul:

US-backed monarchy loots Jordan amid continuing protests

6 September 2011

Last January, angry protesters took to the streets of Amman and other towns and cities in Jordan to demand an end to rising prices, unemployment, nepotism and corruption, and to call for political reform.

Protesters wanted a government elected by the people and accountable to them, with curbs on the powers of the king, the intelligence service and military courts. Small demonstrations and protests have continued, although largely unreported, on a weekly basis.

Jordan was carved out of the former Syrian province of the Ottoman Empire by British imperialism in the aftermath of World War I, as a frontline state to defend Britain’s strategic interests in the oil rich region. It would be ruled by the Hashemite family from the Hejaz in what is now Saudi Arabia. The Hashemite monarchy has from the very beginning been dependent upon aid—first from Britain and, since 1957, from the United States. Washington currently provides almost half the state budget.

Since 1998, and particularly since the Iraq war, US aid—both economic and military—to Jordan more than tripled, from $223 million a year to $912 million in 2008.

These are only the baseline figures, moreover. There are several other means by which the US Congress can and does provide aid to Jordan’s King Abdullah. Last year, Congress endorsed $150 million in supplemental aid, which, according to the Jordan Times, boosted total aid from all sources, including aid from the Gulf States and the European Union, to $1.3 billion.

Such “aid” has nothing to do with economic development. It is to offset some of the costs of suppressing the Palestinian people and supporting the US war in Iraq, which had a disastrous impact on the Jordanian economy. Nearly one million Iraqis fled to Jordan. The country also acts as a hub for Washington’s extraordinary rendition programme, and latterly sent security forces to help suppress the uprising in Bahrain.

While Jordan maintains that there are no US military bases in the country, it is known that Washington has secretly deployed thousands of troops on Jordan’s borders with Iraq and Syria. Its embassy, in an upscale suburb of Amman, is a military fortress directing activities in the region. Just photographing it can lead to arrest.

The full extent of aid to Jordan is not published. Were it known, a recent article in Jordan Business noted, it would prompt questions as to where it all goes.

Since the advent of the Arab Awakening, and the subsequent spotlight hovering over Jordan, one of the most frequent questions I get asked by foreigners interested in what’s going on here is the taboo of criticizing HM King Abdullah. I’ve found this question to be quite curious as it indicates that even non-Jordanians who are observers of local politics have perceived a shift in tone. It may go without saying that one of the advantages that has presented itself amidst this year’s regional upheaval has been the breaking of taboos and red lines. In Jordan, the monarchy has always been the ultimate red line. I’ve actually seen people get away with insulting God in this fairly conservative country, but avoid even a shred of criticism of the King: here.