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Jordan

The area now known as Jordan shares a similar ancient history with the other Arab regions in the northern territory which were populated by early indigenous settlers who worked land and managed trade relations amongst their own people and foreign travelers. The arrival of invading civilizations beginning with Archaemnid dynasties, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans achieved varying occupational success overtime while opening this part of civilization as a route for commerce and also maintaining an agrarian system with hierarchal allegiance to large landowners. The importance of the land around Jordan has a tremendous impact on the shaping of society since the founding of the Islamic religion in 622AD. The spread of Islam helped form a strong shared sentiment among it's people known as asabiyah, meaning "group feeling." Being that Jordan is in the West, in the area that the Islam began, the Arabization that enforced the early adoption of the religion by spreading eastward, avoided much of the resistance experienced elsewhere on the Peninsula until the 16th century when outside Ottoman and Safavids forces arrived to the Peninsula.

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For several hundred years of rule by these separate and opposing clans of Turks, the Palestinians were treated poorly and subjected to forfeiture of farms. The Colonial period from the late 19th century, British and French administrators established European influence to secure trade advantages within the region and sought to occupy vast portions of lands that would offer access to valuable resources. Near to the Suez Canal, the British devoted serious effort to maintaining control of the Palestine areas which had suffered from the ongoing divide of control between the arabs and Israelis. The city of Jerusalem came under attack by the British in 1920 and upon gaining control, they compromised a United Nations approved plan to honor the recently declared Balfour Declaration that ensured a Jewish homeland. Around the same time as the Turkish Ottoman power was weakening it's control here, the British authored the partitioning plan that designated boundaries for a separate Palestinian and Jewish land. The ethnic bedouins occupied much of the region as they had since the beginning and British intended to establish an area that would protect their interests which was TransJordan. influence inhabited much A significant section of the Palestinian region along with a newly established area to protect their own interests and named it TransJordan. The Hashemite dynasty is the ruling family that was originally granted power of the newly established country under the first King, Emir Abdullah one of the son's of King Faisal a prominent land owner of Heraz along the Red Sea. Appointments of several of this family's ancestor had been made to rule over the territories annexed by the British, and lineage is said to derive from prophet Mohammad. The Arab Nationalism during the post WWI era resounded the demands of the people for restrained influence by foreign powers. Demonstrations of dissatisfaction were regular occurrences however the Emir Abdullah proved effective in managing responsibilities of power to keep discontent among his people at bay. The issues comprising most of King Abdullah's effort at the time were molding supportive alliances with forces that he saw would benefit the power of his people and his rule.

Jordan is a small geography lacking oil wealth and so it's reliance on domestic resources in mostly farming and copper had to be developed to sustain a viable country among tense surroundings. <-speak of specific development --son's airline> An emerged from it's people who made excellent use of the resources available by cultivating the land that had been battered by millennia of transitory settlements. Agriculture producing subsistence crops like vegetables for the citizens was mastered and cultivation of products like fruits, seasonings, leaves could be exchanged for profit. The proximate to Jewish Palestine was a cooperative trade that supported mutual needs of the people of different religions. Beyond the boundaries of Jordan a pernicious rebellion against Jewish society in Palestine was being rallied by the once proclaimed Emir of Jerusalem, Amir al-Huseini. He had developed his reputation on fiery rhetoric, traveling to many areas announcing his intolerance and sparking a arab movement amongst many of similar feelings. This extended to anti-British propaganda and from years of leading a campaign of animosity gunned down King Abdullah in 1951, the year after Jordan's declaration as an independent state. The successor fell upon the son King Talal who was soon deposed due to illness and passed on to Adbullah's grandson, King Hussein. Surrounded by activism from the emergent Palestinian organization, PLO, which had unified dedicated efforts resorting to regular violence to combat Jewish empowerment and establishment of their own land among the borders of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem. Their refuge from an Israeli occupied territory was often sought in Jordan which was accommodated to a large degree. For Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, the chance to be among people of the same muslim faith and take advantage of the many strong benefits of Jordan's society including well developed schools was advantageous. The King maintained a balanced position to bridge a relationship with Israel by using diplomacy to diffuse hostilities among the two countries despite an understanding that the King's loyalties were with moderate Palestinians. A repression led by military forces was able to put down the assault of extremists who hoped to remove the king from power and spark revolution. The day was known as Black September. Managing to hold power for such a long time from 1951-1999 is an effect of the respect and opportunity offered to the population which tend to view him with authoritarian admiration.

The Iraqi invasion into Kuwait instigated a shift in perceptions by the west towards Jordan. The United States called for broad support from the Arab nations in it's decision to attack Sadam Hussein which gained popular appeal by most countries however Jordan saw this as interference for a conflict that should be left to the regional countries to handle. As a result of it's position and viewed as supportive of the Hussein regime, United States curtailed it's economic aid and other countries including Saudi Arabia withdrew work permits for Jordan citizens. An appeasement was made with United States in 1994 though an official recognition by the state of Jordan of the Oslo Peace Accord, designed to promote cooperation between between PLO and Israel. The country has served as effective of a mediator as can be expected given the hard-line stance taken by both sides of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. While King Hussein had extended strong cooperation with the Israeli's about settlement rights and negotiations of an official statehood for Palestinians within the West Bank and Gaza districts, shortcomings have been the end result. The greatest benefactor of Jordan has been the United States, so while the country has maintained a strong traditional and individual personality, respectful attention is given to it's western ally. Thus along with it's regional ally, Egypt, across the Suez Canal, serving as a peaceful resistance toward hard-line Islamic fundamentalism has elevated it's status as an international partner. The opposition by the main political rival, Islamic Action Front, of the Muslim Brotherhood had long sought to bring a stronger Islamic presence to government that would sympathize whose heartedly with the Palestinian Arab cause and not be resilient to the concerns of Israeli sovereignty. As Palestinian Liberation members have staged acts of terror in the region and threatened to perform such violent acts on Jordanian soil in the recent decade, the kingdom has vehemently opposed the activity and exiled several members of the PLO party Hamas.

After a long term battle with illness during the 1990's the King eventually ceded control to his son King Abdullah II. He was educated in the United States in a Massachusetts boarding school then continuing his college education at Oxford and Georgetown for international affairs. When King Abdullah was chosen in a last minute succession plan by King Hussein to be the country's new leader at the age of 37, he had completed service in the British Royal Army and then served as commander in the Jordanian Army. Many were uncertain of his fit as ruler of the country, particularly given the challenges that his father had confronted in quelling the Palestinian revolution, and compromising peace among the other contentious neighbors. However, maintaining a position of popularity has been shown to keep him admirable with many of the country's people. During the second Iraqi war, he helped play a balancing act among his patron officials in Washington and London yet stood critical against action that wasn't carefully considered near the region's borders. The arab protests of Spring 2011 have called action amongst the people to advocate a feely elected government in Jordan. As has been a recurrence with this King, Parliament has been disbanded as the on several occasions. It's been promoted by as being at the wishes of it's people however, true satisfaction by the people doesn't seem possible until the elections for a national leader and governing body can be legitimately carried out by it's people. Shortly after the protests, which were said to have peacefully rallied about 400,000 people in the country to streets, it was announced that popular elections would be held in the future but no time table was provided. So for now, a kingdom adorned with the lavishness and benefits one would expect from such a system continues to hold power over a country of 4 million people that sits that intends to sit in a protective balance of peace between pockets of extremist attitudes to the west and the transitioning power of Iraq to the East. While talks of settlement agreements for Israelis and Palestinians persist that draw international recocknigiton, Jordan will act as mediator for helping to resolve tensions, yet likely absolve itself as the decisive redeemer to a centuries long conflict in a contested region.

 

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