Jordan: Living in the Crossfire

Alan George

Zed Books, Oct 4, 2005 - Political Science - 266 pages

Jordan has played a bigger role in Middle Eastern affairs than its size and economy might warrant, due to its huge Palestinian population, its strategic location between Israel, the West Bank, Syria and Iraq, and its uniquely close relationship with successive British and US administrations. Drawing on numerous visits to the country and interviews with a diversity of people from King Abdullah down, Alan George describes how its reasonably stable monarchical system, unlike that in most Arab countries, has allowed the halting development of civil society and maintained control through the skilful co-option of opponents rather than heavy-handed reliance on its secret police. What is daily life like? How do its parliamentary system and political parties work? How free are the media? What are the future prospects of this buffer 'state without a nation'?

Contents

• Jordan under King Hussain: 21
• Jordan under King Abdullah II: 47
• Abdullah bin alHussain King: 83
• Barjas alHadid Tribal Shaikh: 93
• Rajai Khoury Businessman: 103
• Abu Muhammad Taxi Driver: 123
• Awad ashShubaiki Farmer: 133
• Anisa Salim Refugee: 143
• The Royal Family and the Royal Court: 155
• Parliament and Parties: 173
• The Legal System: 190
• The Media: 206
• Jordans media211 Legal constraints 213 Informal: 218
• The Future: 240
• Select Bibliography: 252

About the author

Alan George gained his PhD, on Syria, at Durham in 1978. Since 1984 he has worked as a freelance journalist and researcher, contributing to a wide range of UK and international publications including the Observer, the Independent and the Guardian, and commentating on Middle Eastern affairs for radio and television. He is a former assistant director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), of whose Executive Committee he has been a member for many years. He has visited Syria repeatedly since 1967.

He is the author of Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom (Zed 2003)
Alan George gained his PhD, on Syria, at Durham in 1978. Since 1984 he has worked as a freelance journalist and researcher, contributing to a wide range of UK and international publications including the Observer, the Independent and the Guardian, and commentating on Middle Eastern affairs for radio and television. He is a former assistant director of the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), of whose Executive Committee he has been a member for many years. He has visited Syria repeatedly since 1967.

He is the author of Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom (Zed 2003)

Bibliographic information

• Title: Jordan: Living in the Crossfire
• Author: Alan George
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Zed Books, 2005
• ISBN: 1842774719, 9781842774717
• Length: 266 pages
• Subjects: Political Science / International Relations / Diplomacy; Social Science / Islamic Studies