here today, gone tomorrow
With all eyes focused on Egypt another US ally has her own struggles with their residents. Specifically, the nation of Jordan.
The following report is from Haaretz, a progressive newspaper in Israel. The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli conservative publication, has a similar account of the unrest as the entire Middle East region must be keeping Hillary awake at night.
Published 15:28 01.02.11
Jordan’s King Abdullah sacks cabinet in wake of street protests
King Abdullah appoints new PM after thousands of Jordanians take to the streets protesting rise in fuel, food prices, slowed political reforms.
“Jordan’s King Abdullah has sacked his government in the wake of street protests and has asked his former ex-military adviser Marouf Bakhit to form a new cabinet, an official said.
King Abdullah’s move comes after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets – inspired by the regime ouster in Tunisia and the turmoil in Egypt – and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Samir Rifai who is blamed for a rise in fuel and food prices and slowed political reforms.
The Royal Palace says Rifai’s cabinet resigned on Tuesday.
Abdullah also nominated Marouf al-Bakhit as his prime minister-designate. No other details were immediately available.
“(Bakhit) is a former general and briefly ambassador to Israel who has been prime minister before. He’s someone who would be seen as a safe pair of hands,” said Rosemary Hollis, professor of Middle East policy studies at London’s City University.
“I wouldn’t see it as a sign of liberalization. With his previous premiership, he talked the talk of reform but little actually happened,” she said.
Under fire from an enraged public over high food prices, Rifai announced wage increases two weeks ago to civil servants and the military in an attempt to restore calm.
Protests have spread across Jordan in the last few weeks, with demonstrators blaming corruption spawned by free-market reforms for the plight of the country’s poor.
Many Jordanians hold successive governments responsible for a prolonged recession and rising public debt that hit a record $15 billion this year in one of the Arab world’s smallest economies, heavily dependent on foreign aid.”
Gilbert comments. What impact, if any, will these uprisings have on the middle east peace process?
Is Iran working behind the scenes regarding the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and is so, what impact will that have on our current relationship with Egypt?
While i’m not worried today, we have provided billions of dollars in foreign aide to Egypt which now has a very powerful military. As I think back in time we also helped Saddam in Iraq to create a balance of power against Iran but that’s now old news.
And lastly. Not to be an alarmist but we are already feeling the impact of this geopolitical tension which is driving crude oil into the $100 range.
Egypt and Jordan today. Tomorrow Santa Ana!
You are wrong, the tension in Orange County is in Irvine, the Viejo’s, the Laguna’s, etc.
The pressures from the economic mess is being felt more acutely in south county where life styles were more upwardly mobile and the residents were refi’ing their homes and maxing out their credit cards to cover the increasing costs of their “HY-Brow Pie”
Good morning R C
Internal word is that Syria is next in line for headline news of their pending flareup. This can quickly become a domino effect in the Middle East.
double indemnity.
While Santa Ana makes the local list don’t discount the activists in Mission Viejo who are smeared by those in power for holding them accountable as we expose their many flaws.
The so-called “Only Democracy” is anti democracy if Arabs seek it
Rashad.
I can still picture voters in Iraq photographed with their purple fingers in the Oct 2005 elections as proof of their excercizing the freedom to vote. Many risked their lives.
Do you require a story link?
Iraq is not free. Iraq is illegally occupied. Egyptians are seeking freedom, democracy.
Rashad.
Iraq is illegally occupied? By whom? The USA?
Using your logic South Korea is also illegally occupied. In fact we have had troops stationed there for over 50 years.