Abdullah II of Jordan

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King Abdullah II
King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Image:Abdullah II of Jordan, 2007March07 (cropped).jpg
King Abdullah II, March 2007
Reign February 7, 1999 - present
Born January 30 1962 (1962-01-30) (age 47)
Amman, Jordan
Predecessor Hussein bin Talal
Heir-Apparent Prince Hussein
Consort Rania Al-Yasin
Issue Prince Hussein
Princess Iman
Princess Salma
Prince Hashem
Royal House Hashemite
Father Hussein bin Talal
Mother Muna al-Hussein

King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein (Arabic: الملك عبدالله الثاني ابن الحسين) is the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He became king of Jordan on February 7th, 1999 after the passing of his father King Hussein.[1] King Abdullah is part of the Hashemite family and is reportedly the 43rd-generation direct descendant of prophet Muhammad.[1] Abdullah's parents were King Hussein and Princess Muna al-Hussein, born Antoinette (Toni) Avril Gardiner.

Contents

[edit] Education and Military career

Abdullah was schooled at St. Edmund's School in Surrey, England and Eaglebrook School and Deerfield Academy in the United States of America. His university training was at Pembroke College, Oxford. In 1980, Abdullah left Pembroke and entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom as a cadet. He joined the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) upon commission as a Second Lieutenant the following year. King Abdullah retains close links with the British Army and is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Light Dragoons, a tank regiment and the successor to the 13th/18th Royal Hussars.[2] In 1987, he completed an advanced studies and research program at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He took full command of the Jordanian special forces in November 1993, becoming a Major general. He commanded the special forces until 1996, when he was instructed to reorganize the special forces and other special units under the special operation command SOCOM.[3] Upon assuming his constitutional powers, he became the commander-in-chief. King Abdullah holds the ranks of Field Marshal in the Jordan Arab Army and Marshal of the Royal Jordanian Air Force.[4]

[edit] Marriage and children

Abdullah is married to a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, Queen Rania al-Abdullah, who is renowned for her philanthropic work. They have four children:

Royal Family of Jordan
Image:Coat of Jordan.png

[edit] King of Jordan

Image:Kingabdulla worldeconomicforum.jpg
King Abdullah II at the World Economic Forum.

Abdullah became king on February 7, 1999, upon the death of his father King Hussein. Hussein had recently named him Crown Prince on January 24, replacing Hussein's brother Hassan who had served many years in the position. Since Abdullah's mother, Antoinette Avril Gardiner (commonly referred to as Toni Avril Gardiner), was British by birth,[5] the decision was not universally popular.[citation needed]

[edit] Politics as King

King Abdullah is the head of a constitutional monarchy in which the King retains substantial power; Jordan's economy has improved under Abdullah, and he has been credited with increasing foreign investment, attending meetings between public and private sectors, and providing the foundation for Aqaba's free trade zone. As a result of these reforms, Jordan's economic growth has doubled to 6% annually under King Abdullah's rule compared to the latter half of the 1990s.[6] Healthcare is now easy to receive even in rural parts of Jordan. The adult literacy rate is 90%,[7] one of the highest in the Arab World. Foreign direct investment from the West as well as the countries of the Persian Gulf has continued to increase.[citation needed]

Abdullah's speech at The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in September 2005 was entitled "Traditional Islam: The Path to Peace." While en route to the United States, King Abdullah met with Pope Benedict XVI to build on the relations that Jordan had established with Pope John Paul II to discuss ways in which Muslims and Christians can continue to work together for peace, tolerance, and coexistence.

The King announced on March 2, 2007 municipal elections in Jordan and in November 25, 2006 in his parliament address, told the parliament to work on reforms of the press and publication law.[8]

King Abdullah II has worked for the Middle East Peace Process, attending the Arab Summit in 2002, OIC conferences and having several summits with US, Israeli and Palestinian delegations to find a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. He tried to impose a cease-fire when the Israel-Hezbollah war broke out in the summer of 2006. While keeping strong ties to Israel, the King has invested money into the new Palestinian authority of Mahmoud Abbas, the current President of the PA. He has also helped increase foreign investment in the new Palestinian government.[citation needed]

Palestinians are given citizenship more easily than Iraqi refugees are. Crossing the border into Jordan from Iraq is not much more difficult than it had previously been before the 2005 Amman bombings by Iraqis working with al-Qaeda.[citation needed]

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[edit] Controversy

Some sources say that Abdullah lacks popular support in Jordan.[9] Some Jordanians have questioned Abdullah's ability to rule the country effectively.[10] His alliance with the US was unpopular among Jordanians, especially supporters of Palestine, who saw the US as supporting Israel in the conflict.[9][11] Abdullah has also received criticism from traditional Jordanians who say he has failed to honor tribal traditions.[9]

Jordanian voters have voiced discontentment with Abdullah's failure to make Jordan more democratic.[12] Critics also considered Abdullah's banning of most public protests and suspending of the legislature to be moving the country toward military rule and martial law.[11] Some critics point to a strengthening of Jordan's security forces and alliance with the US in alleged secret detentions and interrogations of terror suspects as a move away from democracy.[9] Human rights groups such as Amnesty International criticized Jordan for restricting freedom of expression when Jordan's first female member of Parliament, Toujan al-Faisal, was arrested after criticizing the government.[13]

A number of people have questioned the stability of Hashemite rule in Jordan. According to the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, Israel's GOC Central Command leader of the Israeli army, Yair Naveh, predicted that King Abdullah would fall and that he would be Jordan's last king.[14] The statement created tension between the two countries, and afterwards Naveh retracted his statement and apologized.[15] In March 2007 Ehud Olmert commented on the fragility of the Hashemite regime in Jordan by saying that, "Israel is worried a hasty American withdrawal from Iraq could have negative impact on the Hashemite regime in Jordan..." Jordan's spokesman Nasser Jawdeh replied by saying, "The Israeli prime minister should worry about his political future before worrying about us."[16] Los Angeles Times correspondent Borzou Daragahi, in an article published by that newspaper, cites Jordanian sources and other analysts in predicting that King Abdullah's alleged corrupt internal policies and abuses would result in a popular uprising and overthrow of the leader, the same fate as Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran.[9]

[edit] Reforms

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[edit] Political

  • Like his father, King Abdullah pushed forward a policy of reform. Politically, King Abdullah pushed democratic reform, making the country more involved in politics and public issues along with fighting corruption in his homeland. In a speech before the United States Congress, King Abdullah presented several political reform strategies that helped Jordan become more democratic.[17]

[edit] Economic

  • The new economic policies have seen many results in Jordan. Abdullah's policies have attracted business to Jordan. He also negotiated a free trade agreement with the United States, which was the third free trade agreement for the U.S and the first with an Arab country [18]

[edit] Military

  • King Abdullah has a strong belief in a powerful military and has led Jordan into adopting a "quality over quantity" policy. This policy has led Jordan to acquire advanced weaponry and enhance the air force by greatly increasing and enhancing its F-16 fighter jet fleet. [19] The ground forces have acquired the Challenger 1 main battle tank.[20]

[edit] Successor

On November 28, 2004, Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince from his half-brother, Hamzah, whom he had appointed on February 7, 1999, in accordance with their late father's wishes. In a letter from Abdullah to Hamzah, read on Jordanian state television, he said, "Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake." No successor to the title was named, but some analysts believe it probable that Abdullah intends to name his own son, Prince Hussein, to succeed him at some point in the future.[21]

[edit] Nuclear plans for Jordan

On January 20 2007, King Abdullah revealed to Haaretz that Jordan has plans to develop nuclear power strictly for internal energy purposes.[22] According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs though, Jordan is one of the poorest countries in terms of access to drinking water, and thus some have raised questions about King Abdullah's plans for making Jordan a powerful country capable of developing nuclear energy[23]. Conversely, Jordan is one of the few non-petroleum producing nations in the region. The country strategically depended on oil from its neighbor, Iraq. Continuing civil unrest in Iraq puts Jordanian national and energy security at risk. Geological surveys in 1980s by have indicated, however, that Jordan’s most southern department, Ma'an, has untapped sources of fossil fuels[citation needed].

[edit] Democracy in Jordan

BBC international published an article titled "Jordan edging towards democracy", where King Abdullah expressed his intentions of making Jordan a democratic country. According to the article, president George W. Bush "urged King Abdullah, a US ally, to take steps towards democracy."[24] King Abdullah was commended on his political reform strategies.[25]

[edit] Interests

Image:King Abdullah on Star Trek.jpg
Acting in Star Trek: Voyager

King Abdullah has many interests, he is known for his adventurous side and for his love and passion for sky diving, Rally racing and scuba diving. King Abdullah also likes to promote tourism in Jordan, and was the guide for the documentary by the travel channel in Jordan.

King Abdullah is an acknowledged fan of the science fiction saga Star Trek. In 1995, while he was still a Prince, he appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Investigations".[26]

King Abdullah is an alumnus of Jeff Cooper's Orange Gunsite shooting school, in Paulden, Arizona, United States

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Kingabdullah.jo {2006), His Majesty King Abdullah II: King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Royal Hashemite Court. Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
  2. ^ BBC News (3 March, 2004), King of Jordan meets troops in UK. Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
  3. ^ Exclusive Interview: Partner for Peace.
  4. ^ Gilani.com.pk (2 May, 2007), The Hashemite Kingdom Of Jordan.
  5. ^ BBC News (6 November, 2001), "Jordan and the UK: A long and robust relationship". Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
  6. ^ International Monetary Fund (28 November, 2006), "Jordan—Concluding Statement for the 2006 Article IV Consultation and Fourth Post-Program Monitoring Discussions". Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
  7. ^ Unicef. "At a glance: Jordan". Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
  8. ^ Mohammad Ben Hussein (28 November, 2006), King opens Parliament today. Jordan Times. Retrieved on December 14, 2007.
  9. ^ a b c d e Borzou Daragahi (October 1, 2006). Jordan's king risks shah's fate, critics warn. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  10. ^ Lee Hockstader and Howard Schneider (February 8, 1999). New King Likely to Focus on Domestic Issues Washington Post Foreign Service. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  11. ^ a b Russell E Lucas (January 2003). Deliberalization in Jordan. Journal of Democracy. Volume 14, Number 1, Pages 137-144. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  12. ^ Ellen Knickmeyer and Yasmin Mousa (November 20, 2007). Jordan's limited democracy leaves voters discontented. Washington Post Foreign Service. Page A13. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  13. ^ Amnesty International (16 May 2002), Jordan: Sentence against Toujan al-Faisal a blow to freedom of expression.
  14. ^ Saed Bannoura (23 February 2006). Naveh: “King Abdullah is liable to be the last king of Jordan”. IMEMC & Agencies. Occupation magazine. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  15. ^ BBC News (23 February 2006). Israeli general in Jordan apology. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  16. ^ (19 March 2007), Jordan irked by Olmert remarks on Iraq pullout. Khaleej Times. Retrieved on 2007-12-19.
  17. ^ The Washington Institute for Near East Policy Reform and Development in Jordan: Toward an Arab Renaissance
  18. ^ White House Office of the Press Secretary (September 28, 2001), Overview: U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
  19. ^ http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/jordan-buys-20-f16-mlu-from-holland-belgium-updated-02176/
  20. ^ http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/cv/tank/Challenger1.html
  21. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4050231.stm
  22. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/815304.html
  23. ^ http://www.irinnews.org/InDepthMain.aspx?InDepthId=13&ReportId=61829&Country=Yes
  24. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4213699.stm
  25. ^ http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2308
  26. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9m_Ols6tGs

[edit] External links

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Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Address by His Majesty King Abdullah II to a Joint Meeting of Congress
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Abdullah II
Preceded by
Hussein 		Hashemite King of Jordan
February 7, 1999 – present 		Incumbent
ar:عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين

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