In my last post, I wrote about a statement by John McCain's political advisor of foreign Affairs (Robert Kagan) during a "lecture" he is supposed to have given in New York University saying that Jordan should be the alternative country for the Palestinians. The source of the news was Ammon News portal, a Jordanian tabliod news that is very popular. I wrote about the same issue in my daily column as... [read more]

Update on June 18th: Most likely we have been fooled with this fabricated news. Check http://www.jordanwatch.net/archive/2008/6/598062.html   Two news items have struck me this morning as they include dangerous signs and strange antagonism. According to Ammon news Republican candidate John McCain will consider Jordan to be THE Palestinian state, bringing back into life the Jordanian option... [read more]

So, what is the favourite Jordanian dish on the table of international media nowadays? The issue of Mohammad Asha has lost is glimmering dimensions lately, and Petra's win in the new seven wonders competition took the highlights for few days. Now we are back to the most favored subject of all: the confederation between Jordan and Palestine. Although King Abdullah II has said for a trillion times... [read more]

The state of Jordan has reaffirmed in the last few days its position towards the core issues of the final settlement negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. This has became necessary again after the fiasco that resulted from the report published by Haaretz newspaper which attributed statements to King Abdullah about the possibility of financial compensation to Palestinian refugees rather... [read more]

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... [read more]

In an exclusive interview with TIME magazine that will be published on Monday Sep 11th issue, King Abdullah II warned that the Middle East will be doomed to violence and conflict if the Palestinian problem is not solved once and for all by 2007. In the interview that was summarized by TIME here, the King said that he is becoming pessimistic for the first time regarding the region. The main points... [read more]

I have been putting too much time and effort in following all the fine details of the comments and analyses regarding the Jordan-Hamas fiasco of "smuggled weapons" and "threatening national security" from one side and the "conspiracy against Hamas" and "Jordanian fabrication" from the other side. It has been such an amazing struggle of mental powers from hundreds of commentators and bloggers all... [read more]

I have to admit that after more than 10 hours of analysis, follow-up of reactions and talking to peole I have not reached a conclusion about the Government's claim of Hamas introducing weapons to Jordan. Simply, I do not buy this story although I do not doubt its truth! There are only two options here. The first option is that the government has fabricated the story to stop the meeting between... [read more]

The Middle East is taking a new shape after the historic Palestinian elections, and the landslide Hamas victory is causing a gigantic wave of political and socio-economic changes that very much resembles a political tsunami.   As Tsunamis are damaging in nature, most of the non-islamist commentators are nervous, and look only to the negative outcomes of such an event. I do not share much of... [read more]