A King’s Art: Dynastic Ambition and State Interest in Hussein’s Jordan
Author(s)
Mufti, Malik
Abstract
Discusses the foreign policy of Jordan’s King Hussein during the 1980’s and 1990’s regarding Israel, Syria, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), all of which posed a potential threat to his kingdom. Despite being militarily weak, King Hussein assertively promoted Jordanian interests and parried the competing and potentially destructive policies of PLO leader Yasser Arafat. Although Jordan’s support for radical Islamic organizations and Iraq during the 1990’s was problematic from a Western perspective, these relationships promoted Jordanian interests. The author also considers to what extent King Hussein’s policies were calculated to promote Jordanian state interests or the king’s dynastic desires.
