Bold in the face of trouble

The news of the Jordanian pilot’s capture went viral on social media outlets in the country.

The common theme is that Jordanians are united in their support and sympathy for the captive pilot and his family.

While a few cast doubts on Jordan’s decision to take part in the coalition, the mainstream position has been of unwavering support for the army and the family of the captive pilot.

The public display of support for the army puts a lot of pressure on the government to act swiftly to secure the release of the pilot. His Majesty King Abdullah himself took the leading role and contacted regional friends and allies to arrange for his release.

Of course, it is not the first time that Jordan gets involved in this kind of business. Not so long ago, the Jordanian ambassador to Libya was kidnapped by militants and the Jordanian intelligence managed to secure his release.

In other words, Jordan is willing to cut a deal with the militants to save the pilot and reassure the public.

On the whole, Jordanians feel that their country does not have to pull out of the coalition or give in to all IS demands as a quid pro quo for the release of the pilot.

Many countries, the US included, found themselves in a situation where they had to negotiate with the enemy without having to put an end to the war. Even great powers paid ransom to terrorists.

Both Hizbollah and Hamas reached a deal with Israel for prisoner exchange without having to stop the hostility.

Some in Jordan even hinted that the military option is not off the table. But that is easier said than done. Any military action that is not based on accurate intelligence may end in failure and risk the life of the pilot. 

So far, Jordanians are supportive of the idea of reaching a deal with IS.

Many are optimistic that the pilot will be released in the near future. I believe that negotiations will be complex and drag for months. It will be wrenching and may push people to ask difficult questions.

Soon people will be asking about the details of the negotiations. Will the government be transparent, and if yes, how will transparency affect negotiations?

The Muslim Brotherhood made clear that the war against IS cannot be “our war”. On Friday, the movement issued a statement about the incident in Syria. Implicit in its official statement is some gloating.

This is too bad. How can a political party that claims to be seeking democratic reforms come up with a statement that does not condemn IS in plain language?

The Jordanian mainstream and social media were quick to pick on the statement, calling on the movement to rethink it.

To many Jordanians, it is not the legitimacy of joining the coalition that is at stake at the moment, but securing the release of the captive pilot.

It remains to be seen how things are going to unfold. But meanwhile, the government should not rule out a similar incident. It should be prepared to deal with such scenarios with a degree of transparency to guarantee the continuation of public support in the war against IS.

[email protected]