Interesting interview with HM King Abdullah on Syria. For better of worse, here are my favorite quotes from the piece (and please look up the context for them): 1) On Syrian sectarianism pouring over..."In fact, we are the least vulnerable to the risk of sectarian divisions and tensions due to the homogeneous makeup of Jordanian society—thank God for that—and the historical process of building a collective national identity. These elements have guaranteed that we never slipped into sectarian or ethnic conflicts throughout our history." 2) On national security... "Experience shows how resilient we are when it comes to protecting our territory, and our armed forces are regionally and internationally acclaimed for their ability. Plus, our distinguished international ties have enabled us to secure technical assistance to boost our defence capabilities." 3) On Syria taking advise from Jordan... "Let me answer this question with another question: Do you see, in light of the official Syrian actions, any sign that they would accept advice from a country like Jordan, which believes in democracy and peace as the philosophy of governance and a way of life? Unfortunately, no." 4) On what an inability for Jordan to shoulder the burden of refugees could mean... "What I fear is finding ourselves in a difficult situation where, God forbid, we cannot provide relief to our brothers and sisters the Syrian refugees seeking a safe haven in Jordan. That would mean that efforts to export the Syrian crisis have succeeded." 5) On the IAF boycott of Jordanian elections... "I really regret that any political force would boycott productive and constructive political action through which it can represent its voters, present its platforms, and participate in legislation, decision-making and the rotation of governments. This is particularly true when the boycott is decided by a political movement like the Action Front, which is historically known for its wisdom and rationality." 6) On democratic transition... "I do not want to elaborate too much on socio-economic transformation theories. What I want to stress, however, is that we, in Jordan, are doing our utmost to provide all elements of democratization, including constitutional institutions that guarantee the political process and pluralism, progressive and fair legislation, checks and balances, separation of powers, a vibrant civil society and real, platform-based parties that make it to parliament and form governments on the basis of a parliamentary majority and a constructive opposition." 7) "Regarding accession to the GCC, it is aimed to put such historical ties within the framework of a stable and cohesive regional system. What we are keen on is to strengthen the roots of our ties with the GCC countries at all levels: Political, economic, military, security and cultural, among others. Such relations should be based on solid foundations of complementarity, so that Jordan can enjoy an advanced status in its partnership with Arab Gulf states." aawsat.net/2013/06/article55307224
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 04:35:57 +0000
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