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Is Jordan's King Losing Control over the Bedouin?

(Hudson Institute-New York) Mudar Zahran - The Bedouin have controlled the Jordanian army and the security agencies since the establishment of Hashemite rule in 1921. They receive massive benefits from the Jordanian state, such as free university education, exemption from most taxes, and generous land grants. This has left the Palestinian majority in the country somewhat miffed at the regime, and willing to replace it. Recently there have been signs that the Bedouin are no longer loyal to the Hashemites; they are seeking to rule Jordan on their own. On June 13, King Abdullah's motorcade was attacked by the local Bedouin in the southern city of Tafillah. The Bedouin have demanded a constitutional monarchy and a return to the 1920 agreement with Jordanian tribes, according to which King Abdullah's grandfather, Abdullah I, agreed to rule the country jointly with the Bedouin.
2011-06-21 00:00:00
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