That commitment has not been implemented. And almost certainly never will be, at least by the current king. Washington’s failure to stand for human rights is a tragedy for the Jordanian and American people. Alas, the administration’s brutal stance is unsurprising. The world is messy, leading policymakers to compromise their professed beliefs. World War II and the Cold War created a plethora of terrible dilemmas, and many people, especially innocent foreign civilians, died as a result.
Today, despite vastly changed circumstances the usual suspects, who fill federal agencies, congressional committees, think tanks, lobbying firms, foreign embassies, and media organizations, insist that America must continue to support the awful to thwart the horrid. Thus, successive administrations have squandered Americans’ wealth and lives underwriting odious despots. Whatever U.S. interests in the Middle East in years past, nothing warrants Uncle Sam toadying to such malignant regimes today.
Jordan isn’t as repressive, but that is little reason for congratulation. Moreover, the country is no longer particularly important geopolitically. The time when Washington believed that it had to buy peace for Israel is long past: War would be suicidal for Amman. The Hashemite dynasty is no bulwark of stability, with its very existence threatened by its own failings. Abundant allied funds—last fall the administration promised King Abdullah’s government more than $10 billion over the next seven years—are intended to keep the regime staggering along, not yield the sort of deep policy reforms needed for both the government’s legitimacy and people’s prosperity.
Indeed, Washington’s main interest today appears to be to use Jordan as a base for military operations in the region. The money promised Amman is effectively rent for access to the entire country. Per Foreign Policy: “In 2021, a controversial US-Jordan defense agreement allowed U.S. forces, aircraft, vessels, and vehicles free entry into Jordanian territory. It also gave U.S. troops permission to carry weapons freely and implied that U.S. soldiers may be immune from prosecution in Jordanian courts.” This, at a time when Washington should be ending its role as imperial guardian of the Middle East.
Jordan’s royal wedding appeared to be a wonderful social event. Too bad my invitation apparently was lost in the mail. Many observers hoped that Saudi Arabia’s prince would make an appearance to seal relations between the two dynasties. Alas, the al-Saud dynasty evidently has little time for its nearby poor relations, hence Amman continues to bang its tin cup in Washington. The administration should reformulate Middle East policy with the American people in mind. It is time to bring the troops home and turn off the financial spigot. What if another Middle Eastern despot sends a wedding invite? The president should send a card rather than his wife.