News today from the Jerusalem Post that Jordan is revoking the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians . Of course, Palestinians comprise about 70% of the population. The other 30% are Bedouins who have been fantastically loyal to the monarchy since the Days of Abdullah I.
Yassir Arafat had a home in Jordon, a state within a state actually, until 1970 when he attempted to overthrow Abdullah's grandson, King Hussein. In two campaigns, one in September (giving the name to the Palestinian terrorists that murdered the Israeli Olympic team at Munich) and one in January, the Jordanian army eradicated the PLO presence in the country. The first phase saw the Jordanians kick the PLO out of Amman and in the second, they systematically rooted them out of the north. Fighting was severe and resulted in thousands of casualties. In between the two campaigns a Syrian division attacked Jordan but was routed by Hussein's forces at the battle of Ramtha. Arafat pledged to leave Jordan, and was taken in by Lebanon.
Today Jordan is a quiet ally of the United States, sharing intelligence and interogating prisoners. One Jordanian interogation was intrumental in the hunting down of abu Musab al Zarqawi, himself a Jordanian. The army has four well trained divisions. The king, Abdullah II was educated in both America and Britain, served with the British army, and filled various commands in the Jordanian army. And then there's the queen...
Of the various sects of the Palestinian diaspora, those living in Jordan probably have it the best. How could they not be better off than their brethern in Gaza or Nahr el Bared?
Will's book about the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the Battle of 73 Easting, is called A Line Through the Desert. It may be purchased at Amazon.
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