Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Jordan faces its most difficult challenge in decades
amid internal unrest and revolt in neighboring Syria, a report said.

The Institute for National Security Studies asserted that King Abdullah
has faced his toughest challenge since he ascended to the throne in 1998.
INSS said the Hashemite kingdom could be drawn into a regional conflict that
stems either from neighboring Iraq or Syria.

“Within the kingdom and across three of its borders, unfolding
developments carry far reaching implications for the region in general and Jordan’s stability in particular,” the report, titled “Jordan is Boiling,” said. “Inside Jordan, the opposition — both that of the Muslim Brotherhood and that coming from the supposedly loyal southern tribes and towns — is sizzling.”

Authored by former Israeli Foreign Ministry director-general Oded Eran, who served in Amman, the report said Abdullah faced threats along three of its borders. Eran cited the U.S. final withdrawal from Iraq, which would increase the flow of Sunni refugees to Jordan.

In Syria, the revolt against the regime of President Bashar Assad was challenging Abdullah. The report said Jordan feared that Alawites, threatened by the Sunni revolt, could flee Syria for the Hashemite kingdom.

“On the one hand, a regime change in Syria, if it prompts both an
untying of the Damascus-Teheran knot and less hospitable treatment by the
Syrian regime to groups that in the past tried to undermine Jordan’s
stability, might be viewed positively in Amman,” the report said.

“On the other, the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has sided with the
Syrian anti-government forces and on Nov. 16 called upon the king to
recognize the Syrian National Council puts King Abdullah in an awkward
situation. The specter of Jordanian and Syrian Muslim Brotherhood
cooperation no doubt raises concerns in the Jordanian palace.”

The king also faces rising unrest, particularly from the Bedouin sector,
which has long contributed its members to the military and security forces.
The report said Abdullah has used his new prime minister, Awn Khasawneh, to
win support from the powerful Islamic opposition aligned with Hamas.

“Khasawneh has not hidden his views that banning Hamas in Jordan in 1999
was a mistake, and he has maintained cordial relations with the Muslim
Brotherhood,” the report said. “Nonetheless, Khasawneh’s appointment maybe prove insufficient, especially if the Jordanian Brotherhood will — together with the rest of the world — witness
political success of fellow organizations in other Arab countries.”

Abdullah has also been concerned by the political stalemate between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority. On Nov. 21, the Jordanian king flew to
the West Bank to discuss regional developments with PA Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas.

“The absence of any [Israeli-PA] negotiations may drift into violent
friction between Israel and the Palestinians with dire consequences for all
concerned, Jordan included,” the report said. “The fear in Jordan of another
wave of Palestinians fleeing a third intifada, in addition to fears from
Syrian and Iraqi refugees, must surely cause sleepless nights in Amman.”

  Alawites, Awn Khasawneh, Bashar Assad, Hashemite, internal threats, Mahmoud Abbas, Muslim Brotherhood, Oded Eran, Report: Jordan’s king caught between imploding Syria, rising Muslim Brotherhood, Sunni