Middle East: Jordan
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
King Hussein ruled Jordan from 1953 to 1999, surviving a number of challenges to his rule, drawing on the loyalty of his military, and serving as a symbol of unity and stability for both the East Bank and Palestinian communities in Jordan. In 1989 and 1993, Jordan held free and fair parliamentary elections. Controversial changes in the election law led Islamist parties to boycott the 1997 elections. King Hussein ended martial law in 1991 and legalized political parties in 1992.
King Abdullah II succeeded his father Hussein following the latter's death in February 1999. King Abdullah moved quickly to reaffirm Jordan's peace treaty with Israel and its relations with the U.S., and has since focused the government's agenda on economic reform, political development, and poverty alleviation.
Jordan's continuing structural economic difficulties, burgeoning population, and more open political environment have led to the emergence of a variety of small political parties. Parliamentary elections were most recently held in November 2007. The Islamist opposition lost many of the seats it had gained in 2003.
U.S.-JORDANIAN RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and Jordan have been close for six decades, with 2009 marking the 60th anniversary of U.S.-Jordanian ties. A primary objective of U.S. policy has been the achievement of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East.
U.S. policy seeks to reinforce Jordan's commitment to peace, stability, and moderation. The peace process and Jordan's opposition to terrorism parallel and indirectly assist wider U.S. interests. Accordingly, through economic and military assistance and through close political cooperation, the United States has helped Jordan maintain its stability and prosperity.
Since 1952 the United States has worked closely with Jordan to improve the lives of Jordanian citizens. Development assistance totaling nearly $6 billion has resulted in dramatically improved health indicators, road and water networks, hundreds of schools built, thousands of Jordanians in critical fields educated and trained in the U.S., and grants and loans for U.S. agricultural commodities. Current focus areas include education, access to water, resource management and conservation, energy, youth and poverty alleviation programs, maternal/child health, energy, governance, macroeconomic policy, workforce development, and competitiveness. These programs are an essential contributor to a strong bilateral relationship centered on a stable, reform-oriented Jordan. Jordan signed a Threshold Agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in October 2006, and was subsequently deemed by the MCC to be eligible for a Compact Agreement in recognition of the country's progress on economic, social, and political reform indicators. A strong U.S. military assistance program is designed to meet Jordan's legitimate defense needs, including preservation of border integrity and regional stability through the provision of materiel and training. In 2008, the U.S. and Jordan signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide assistance to Jordan over a five-year period, subject to the appropriation and availability of funds for this purpose. The MOU also reinforces the commitment to broaden cooperation and dialogue in a variety of areas.
