December 07, 2004
Commentary:
A man to keep an eye on
By Jack GrantThey are showing an interview of King Abdullah of Jordan (he's lost the really bad looking mustache) on the CNN International cable network right now discussing the future elections in Iraq and the possibility of Iraq fragmenting into different sections (Kurdish, Sunni, and Shi'ite). He is a very articulate and apparently intelligent man who speaks English better than many people I know for whom English is their first language.
While I'm not a big fan of monarchial-based systems (including that of the United Kingdom, despite their long history of democracy and alliance with the United States), this man who became king I believe can do a world of good (or evil) in the Arab community. It is important to keep an eye on him and his policies.
Posted by Jack Grant at 18:47 on 7 December 2004I've been keeping an eye on news reports about him for a while now. He's quickly turning into the most moderate and practical of the prominent Arab leaders. While there's some irony in how he, a king, occasionally lectures about democracy in Iraq, he's one to watch.
One thing I've noticed about his public statements is that he threads the needle very carefully. He seems to parcel out criticism to both sides in a certain measure, carefully maintaining both his Middle Eastern street cred and the potential for good relations with the United States.
My own hope is that U.S. leaders will take advantage of his burgeoning credibility ...
--|PW|--
Posted by: pennywit at December 8, 2004 12:07 AMMy hope is that PW and Jack will keep me updated on this!! Thanks, guys.
Posted by: Indigo at December 8, 2004 03:50 AM
