The Jordanian Surprise

King Hussein of Jordan called the autobiography he published as a young man “Uneasy Lies the Head,” borrowing his title from Shakespeare to acknowledge the often precarious state of his monarchy and the personal dangers he had endured. Hussein has now worn his crown for nearly 46 years and time and again has proven himself to be not just an adroit survivor but a pragmatic and shrewd maneuverer between the Arab world and the West.

Last week the king, suffering from a relapse of cancer, stunned Jordanians by abruptly changing the line of succession to bypass his brother, Hassan, who had long been his designated heir. The throne now appears destined to pass soon to Hussein’s eldest son, Prince Abdallah.

The transition, when it comes, is unlikely to be contested, though it will be clouded by uncertainty. Abdallah, 36, is a career military officer and appears to have the crucial support of the army. But he is also a political novice, and as did his father, who became king in his mid-teens, he will need wise counsel as well as the continuing loyalty of the military, the security services and Bedouin leaders. In recent years Islamist activists and Jordanian nationalists have become more outspoken, demanding among other things a rollback in the ties with Israel that Jordan established in 1994. Hussein’s departure could spur increasing domestic challenges to the policies he set.

Jordan is a poor and resourceless country, artificially created out of the debris of the Ottoman Empire by Britain’s Colonial Office 75 years ago. Since the 1950s the United States has taken a special interest in Jordan, and it must continue to do so. Jordan borders Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the West Bank and Israel. Supporting its stability and security is very near the top of Washington’s priorities in the Middle East. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright signaled as much with her visit to Amman Thursday to call on Abdallah.

U.S. economic aid to Jordan now runs about $150 million a year--double what it was in 1996--with an additional $75 million in military assistance. President Clinton plans to ask Congress for $50 million more in economic aid this year as well as $200 million more in security assistance over the next three years.

In recent years especially, Hussein has proven his fidelity as a friend of the United States and his commitment to a just peace for the Middle East. His successor deserves no less a level of American support.

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In this and some other stories, King Abdullah II of Jordan is referred to as Crown Prince Abdallah of Jordan.

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