As a response to the growing number of antigovernment protests, King Abdullah II approved a cabinet shuffle made by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Saturday in an effort to appease the protesters.  The focal point for protesters was the interior minister Saad Hayel Srour because protesters believed he was the one who called for the use of "excessive force" by the police against protesters.  In addition, Srour had also allowed ...

King Abdullah II announced that he will implement reforms by forming future cabinets based on an elected parliamentary majority.  His announcement follows six months of protests. Reports stated that he wants to see Jordan's 33 political parties emerge as 3 main political blocs that would eventually form the cabinet. King Abdullah has not announced when these changes will take place.

There were demonstrations Friday in several Jordanian cities including Tafileh, Karak, and Thiban demanding the resignation of Parliament and Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit. Protests also occurred in Amman demanding the abolition of the State Security Court. The Jordanian National Dialogue Committee, appointed by King Abdullah II, announced their recommendations for electoral reforms last week. The recommendations, submitted to the Prime Minister, propose increasing the number of seats in the Parliament and ...

In an effort to fight against the economic challenges posed by governments in the Middle East, the Arab Spring has successfully overthrown some regimes. However, many countries still face dire economic challenges as they try to move forward in their quest toward democracy. America Abroad has posted a new listening program on their website, "Roots of the Arab Spring," that will also air on National Public Radio on June ...

In a recent article entitled "Jordan 2011: Uneasy Lies the Head" Professor Asher Susser of the Brandeis University Crown Center for Middle East Studies wrote of the political and economic challenges facing Jordan over the past 6 months. Despite protests significantly smaller and less potent than those of other regional countries, Jordan's King Abdullah II has faced serious challenges to his rule. Susser argues that King Abdullah's response was initially ...

On Tuesday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a debate to be aired on BBC's The World Debate on U.S. foreign policy in response to the uprisings in the Middle East. Matt Frei, anchor for BBC's World News America moderated the event and introduced the following panelists: Marwan Muasher, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment; Tamara Wittes, Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of Near Eastern ...

On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a nomination hearing for William J. Burns to become Deputy Secretary of State. The hearing was presided over by Committee Chairman Senator John Kerry (D-MA) with Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jib Webb (D-VA), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA), Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) in attendance. William J. Burns is a career foreign service officer and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and ...

Last week, following President Barack Obama's address on the Middle East, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) delivered the Dean Acheson Lecture at the United States Institute of Peace where he discussed the Arab Spring.  McCain opened by noting that the uprisings  in the Middle East represent a repudiation of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and stated that Arab Spring should be "a clarifying event for the United States" which presents an ...

Judge Nasser Salamat of the Amman Criminal Court acquitted Mwaffaq Mahadin and Sufyan Tal of charges that TV appearances by both journalists, in which they criticized the Jordanian military's role in Afghanistan had harmed Jordan's relations with another country.  A group or retired military officers originally brought the suit against the men which was then referred to the prosecutor general and the State Security Court which relegated the case to ...

Moisés Naím, writing for the Carnegie Endowment, discusses why the United States and Europe are attacking Libya with bombs and Syria with words. He first dismisses arguments that the justification for war in Libya is oil, arguing that it would be easier for U.S. oil companies to have security under Gadhafi rather than under the chaos that has ensued.  He states that there are five reasons why the same response ...

The State Department on Thursday released a fact sheet highlighting U.S. economic assistance programs to Jordan.  Citing the "long-standing partnership" between the U.S. and Jordan, the statement reiterated American support for Jordan to address reform challenges.  The fact sheet highlights USAID programs to Jordan to the tune of $363 million in Economic Support Funds (ESF) in fiscal year 2010 along with an additional $100 million in supplemental assistance.  USAID funding ...

In a new Carnegie Paper, Marwan Muasher discusses failed attempts to implement political reform in Jordan over the last decade.   Muasher argues that King Abdullah II's numerous attempts to launch political reform initiatives, since assuming the throne in 1999, have been "thwarted by a resilient class of political elites and bureaucrats" originally created by the regime to protect itself.  He highlights, in particular, elite resistance to the  Jordanian National Agenda, ...

On Tuesday, the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs released an overview of U.S. Assistance to  Jordan in Fiscal Year 2010.  The fact sheet states that the aim of U.S. economic assistance, which totaled $463 million,  was to help Jordan maintain economic growth and development initiatives while also supporting the governments political and economic reform agenda.  It also notes that $300 million were designated for Foreign Military Financing and ...

  In remarks with Jordanian King Abdullah before their meeting, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the king "is a strong and steady voice in the incredible changes that are going on around the world."   King Abdullah noted that the discussion will include the challenges facing the Middle East as a result of the Arab Spring and stated that "the role of the United States is going to be ...