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"... Just as the Arab Spring began in Tunisia but then steamrolled through the region claiming the scalps of the leaders of Egypt, Libya, and Yemen. The same dynamics that contributed to Assad’s fall—conscript armies, corruption, and stagnant or declining living standards among ordinary citizens—are present in other countries: Iran, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Jordan, for example.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II especially should be very worried. Like Former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, King Abdullah II is much more popular outside his country than inside. Too often, Washington think tank scholars and international correspondents allow their desire for access to skew their perspective. ...
The same is not true with Jordan. Many Jordanians look at the profligate lifestyle of the king and especially Queen Rania with disdain. As their children age, their own ritzy lifestyles chafe. While the Jordanian economy grows, many Jordanians remain unhappy about their current situation. Revolutions—both in Iran and Egypt—occurred when the economy was growing, not when recession loomed.
Decades of relative poverty primes Jordanians toward extremism. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Iraqi Sunni insurgents from 2003 until his 2006 death, was both Jordanian and more the rule rather than the exception in certain corners of the country. That Jordan is majority Palestinians, too, also makes the kingdom vulnerable. ... Jordan, however, comprises more than 70 percent of historic Palestine by territory, and is two-thirds Palestinian by demography. Hamas resonates inside Jordan. ...
Jordan is a cornerstone of the moderate Arab coalition and a country upon which the United States relies disproportionately in its support for regional security and peace. It is for this reason as well that many Islamists hate the country. ..."
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