Jordan Watch : Joseph Massad: Another Misguided Arab Academic Political "Expert" in the USA

One of the main phenomena that I always encounter in the Arab political community is the plethora of the "strategic experts" and acadmic researchers in the west, especially in the USA who are convinced that Jordan is engaged in a historical conspiracy against the Palestinians and their aspirations for an independent state.

Some of these experts can easily throw out an argument that Jordan is accused of causing a great deal of damage to the Arab World. The conviction is not supported by evidence nor common sense and seems a part of a political folklore that is prevailing in the Arab World.

Joseph Masad is the associate professor of modern Arab politics and intellectual history at Columbia University, the same University that gave the freedom and power to the greatest Arab writer in the USA, the late Edward Said. However, it is almost insulting to see Masad holding a position in such a university that included the great Said.

Joseph Masad was in Amman last summer giving a series of lectures that were celebrated in the national media and political circles. Little is known that this man has a lot of problems in recognising the real position of Jordan and using the common sense in his writing.

I have been told by a trusted friend that was discussing some political arguments with Masad last summer that the so-called political expert was convinced that when Al Qaeda hit Amman in 2005 with that horrible series of bombings in the hotels they were targeting meetings for Mosad agents.

This is not just a lie, but an insult to all the victims of the tragic events. If I was there with Masad I would have taken him to Radisson SAS to show him the hall in which the bomb has been exploded and the very basic fact that this was a wedding hall and there were no other secret meeting rooms adjacent to that hall. In addition I would have taken him to see an aquaintence of mine who is now paralysed because of that terrorist act and to ask him if they had actually invited Mosad agents to the wedding!

Masad wrote recently in Al Ahram weekly accusing Israel, USA, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia of supporting Fateh to organize a coup against the angels of Hamas that is similar to the one organized by the CIA in Chile in 1973 against Allendi, describing Mahmoud Abbas as 'Pinochet" of Palestine.

I honestly have no problem with the waves of accusations by Hamas and Fateh since they have been calling each other bad names while hundreds of Palestinians are being killed and wounded by Israel, but what Masad wrote in his "analysis" regarding Jordan was pathetic.

He wrote "As a possible step to increase its security and military roles in the occupied territories, the Jordanian government recently established a legal committee to review the provisions of Jordan's decision to "disengage" from the West Bank announced on 31 July 1988, effectively suggesting the possibility of a reversal of part or all of these provisions". This is completely and fully flawed. The governemnt has announced that the measures taken were just for a few "humanitarian cases" to assist some families. Moreover, I would like to make Mr Masad feel safe that Jordan will never committ the same mistake again. As a Jordanian I will strongly fight, refuse and condemn any attempt for revoking the disengagement decision.

We want to mind our own business. If Hamas and Fateh people are killing each other why should Jordan interfere? We have been labelled as the "traitors of the Arab World" due to Jordan's annexation of the West bank and we certainly do not want any more association with the internal Palestinian politics.

Let Masad rest assured that the Jordanian people, and not only the governemnt will not allow any retreat from the disengagement decision which was the best political decision taken by Jordan throuout its history!