Keeping Jordan safe

Not too long ago, Republican candidate for the White House Marco Rubio prophesied that terrorist attacks in Jordan are imminent.

The leading Democratic candidate in the race for the White House, Hillary Clinton, made a similar forecast about the security and safety of Jordan and cast doubts about the future of the country.

No doubt other responsible and irresponsible US officials may entertain similar thoughts about the security of the country. 

As far as I can remember, there were always people who expressed doom and gloom about the future of Jordan as if a country were there only for a transient reason.

There are no reasonable justifications for such expressions of doubt about the survivability of the country.

A look around the region enable one to notice that Jordan remains the only safe and secure Arab state in the entire neighbourhood, a country that has successfully withstood all designs on its integrity, security and independence.

This reassuring fact about the country did not come by, by accident.

His Majesty King Abdullah has successfully steered the country away from the turmoil in the region by playing the country’s cards wisely and prudently.

Extremism was systematically uprooted before it multiplied. Moderation was inculcated and promoted all along as part of the national culture.

The country has been steadily building on the edifice of functional democracy and respect for human rights.

Instead of undermining the inner strength of the country by spreading false rumours or innuendos about its future, current and future US officials are invited to lend meaningful support to Jordan, which has proved them wrong about its status and became a role model in the region.

Investing in Jordan’s future is a valuable investment in the stability and safety of the Middle East, and the surest way of combating not only Daesh, but all other radical thoughts and movements proliferating across the globe.

Ignoring the heavy burdens that the country is assuming on behalf of regional peace and security, especially in shouldering the awesome responsibilities for the 1.4 million Syrian refugees who fled the five-year old civil war in their country, is both reckless and irresponsible diplomacy.

Americans who aspire to lead their great nation in the future must first do their homework properly and examine issues with greater precision before they embark on policy statements that can only serve the cause of instability and insecurity in the area and beyond.