A continuation of the Alexandria declaration 2004   Secondly: Economic Reform   17- Economic reform includes all legislation, policies, and measures that would free the national economy and turn it efficiently in accordance with market mechanisms. This would be done in a manner that would ensure economic prosperity and facilitate integration with regional and global economies   ... [read more]

No word has ever been more "exploited" in Jordan and the Arab World more than "reform" in the last few years. As if it has been magistically discovered in a deep cave in the Arabian political desert, reform has been the most welcomed guest in all political projects developed by the USA and EU for the Arab World after September 11th and has been the silver bullet for the political and socio-economic... [read more]

This is really funny and eccentric! It seems that our Iranian friends (well, not a lot of passion is shared at the official levels) are furious with Jordan and causing us of supporting terrorism. We are not talking here about Al Qaeda and Fath Al Islam but as supporters of Mujahedin Khalq Organization. The hardline leftist military opposition to the Islamic regime in Iran has generously invited... [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]

It seems that one of the most popular amusements for the so-called "Middle East experts" in American research centers and media outlets is to redraw the map of the Middle East according to their own wishful thinking, often influended by the strong neo-conservative apparatus advocating the balkanization of the region. I think some of you remember the "map" drawn by Ralph Peters in the "Armed Forces... [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]

To the dismay of some readers of this blog Jordan is not a failed state. According to the Foreign Policy Index of failed States, published for the third year in the well respected American magazine "Foreign Policy" Jordan does not rank among the 60 failed states of the world which includes seven Arab countries, topped by Sudan.   The Index was developed by the Fund for Peace an independent research... [read more]

I was frightened and shocked with the quality of "political analysis" done by some writers and politicians of the Hamas military takeover in Gaza. I was particularly concerned with the way some people have no problem in undermining, or even neglecting the huge human cost of this conflict. More than 100 people were killed, some of them with the most brutal ways (thrown alive from 15th store) and yet... [read more]

Arabian Business magazine has published its list of the so-called most powerful 100 Arabs. I do not know what are the criteria they use for "evaluating power" but I can guess it is all about impact on peoples' choices and decisions in the Arab World and abroad. If this is true this list misses the three most influential Arab characters, and this is really amazing. I have sent a comment with my feedback... [read more]

One of the major indicators to assess the nature of the visit by Mr George W Bush to Jordan is to compare it with the former visit by Bill Clinton in 1995. The Jordanian people, like all Arabs and Muslims and almost 90% of the world population hate the guts of the current US president for his arrogance, misjudgements and the total catastrphic failure of his policy in the region. The actions, and... [read more]

It was very surprising to me not to see the transcript of King Abdullah's latest interview with TIME magazine translated into Arabic and making the headlines of dailies in Jordan. Usually such interviews would be translated officially by the Media unit at the Royal Court and transmitted by the Petra official news agencies to newspapers. This time it was only the summary of the interview published on... [read more]

One of the main problems of the Arab World is the fact that the decision makers and the popular influential people are not the most intelligent. On the contrary, smart Arabs are usually kept aside from discussing Arab politics and reform and leave this platform to corrupt officials, fundamental religious leaders, ultra nationalists and even soap opera actors who are given space and time by Satellite... [read more]

In an extraordinary, direct and frank interview with the two Arabic dailies Al Ghad and Al Rai, King Abdullah has sent strong and angry statement towards the USA's policy in the Labanon crises and other Middle East issues. he said that "as long as there is occupation there will be resistance".       Wearing his military uniform, the king stated the following series of strong remarks... [read more]

The very well known strategic resaerch center "International Crises Group" has recently publsihed an analytical report on the twin agreesion by Israel on Lebanon/Palestine. The reports concludes taht only political measures can resolve the problem. Here is a summary of the conclusions   Israel/Palestine/Lebanon: Climbing Out of the Abyss    A diplomatic and political approach is needed... [read more]

This map has been promoted by almost all tabloid newspapers in Jordan and the Middle East. It is a "theoritical" representation of the New Middle East by Ralph Peters of the "Armed Forces Journal", a commercial American military magzine published an military consulting Company. In this map Jordan is expanded into a double of its current size . The map and article can be read here:   http://www... [read more]

The Israeli Palestinian center for Research and Information (IPCRI), which is a think tank for peace headed by Gershon Baskin and Hanna Saniora, has released recently a plan of its own for halting the conflicts in Lebanoan and Gaza with a linked approach. I have to say this proposal DOES make sense, but again it is based on the intent of leaders in both sides to adhere to peace. This genuine belief... [read more]