December 03, 2004

Succession in Jordan

King Abdullah has sacked his half-brother Hamza as Crown Prince. Abu Aardvark has the story and thoughts on its meaning here, here and here.

Why should Jordanian royals matter to the US? This matters given US interest in Israeli politics and Jordan's importance in Israeli politics. It matters because of our long friendship and growing economic ties with Jordan (we have a free trade agreement with them, though our aid is endangered by the Nethercutt amendment). And it matters because in the last ten years Jordan has slid further and further away from being a free society with a responsive government (not that it was one, but things have gotten steadily worse). In such a system, who the heir to the throne is can have important political consequences.

Posted by armand at December 3, 2004 11:34 AM | TrackBack | Posted to International Affairs


Comments

just out of curiosity, how do you fire a prince? isn't that like my parents firing me from their family?

Posted by: joshua at December 3, 2004 01:37 PM | PERMALINK

No, it's like them writing you out of their will.

Posted by: binky at December 3, 2004 01:51 PM | PERMALINK

He will remain "prince", just not "crown prince".

Posted by: Armand at December 3, 2004 02:30 PM | PERMALINK

i'm guessing he had more to lose than i do.

Posted by: joshua at December 3, 2004 04:30 PM | PERMALINK
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