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NEWS ABOUT: Jordan

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Jordan's King to Syrian Prez: 'Step Down'

King Abdullah's comment is latest blow for Assad

(AP) - Jordan's king said today that Syrian President Bashar Assad should step down for the good of his country, the first Arab leader to publicly make such a call as Syria's neighbors close ranks against an increasingly isolated regime. "If Bashar has the interest of his country, he... More »

Only 10% of Arab World Likes Obama

US more unpopular there now than it was under Bush

(Newser) - You know President Obama’s plan to reach out and win hearts and minds in the Middle East? It’s not going well. In a stunning new Pew Poll spotted by Glenn Greenwald of Salon , only 10% of residents in Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates... More »

Bomb Hits Egypt Gas Pipeline

Explosion stops flow of gas to Israel, Jordan

(Newser) - An Egyptian pipeline that supplies gas to Israel and Jordan was rocked by an explosion today, sending flames into the air and sparking a fire that burned for seven hours, cutting off the supply of gas, the BBC reports. Officials say two pickup trucks pulled up to the pumping station;... More »

King Met With Bottle Attack ... or Warm Welcome?

Conflicting reports surround King Abdullah's visit

(AP) - King Abdullah II was met by either tossed bottles and stones or a warm welcome on a visit to Jordan's south today, according to conflicting reports from government officials. A security official said a crowd of youths flung objects at the monarch's motorcade in two incidents in the... More »

Saudis Forming Anti-Shiite 'Club of Kings'

Royal family moves to form alliance against Iran, uprisings

(Newser) - Saudi Arabia is moving to firm up alliances with Sunni nations in a bid to limit Iran’s influence and stem the tide of revolts in the Arab world. It has asked several countries across the Middle East and Asia, including Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to join an informal alliance... More »

Syrian Tanks Roll Into Daraa

Government closes border with Jordan, attacks civilians

(Newser) - Syria closed off its border with Jordan today as troops and tanks poured into the border city of Daraa—the original hotbed of the protests that have erupted across the country. Bodies were seen strewn throughout the streets of the city, witnesses tell Reuters , with one human rights campaigner accusing... More »

Jordan Out to Take Back Ancient Christian Texts

Metal books could be extremely important—or forgeries

(Newser) - A team of archaeologists believes that a Bedouin farmer in Israel is in possession of some of the most important Christian texts ever discovered—and the government of Jordan is out to reclaim them. Farmer Hassan Saeda has in his possession about 70 books made of lead and copper that... More »

US Enemies Loving Unrest

Iran, Syria see US allies weakening

(Newser) - Iran, Syria, and other members of the self-proclaimed “resistance bloc” are delighted by the unrest sweeping through the Arab world—since it’s so far affected primarily US allies like Egypt and Jordan, the Wall Street Journal observes. The unrest “proved that the global arrogance’s era of... More »

Jordan's King Fires Cabinet After Protests

But opposition leader says they're not like Egypt

(Newser) - King Abdullah II cleared out his government today, after thousands of protesters took to the streets to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Samir Rifai, who many blamed for high fuel prices and slow political reform, according to al-Jazeera. The king has asked Marouf Bakhit, an ex-army general and former... More »

Majority of World Muslims: Islam Belongs in Politics

Majority of world's Muslims say Islam has place in politics

(Newser) - A majority of the world’s Muslims want their religion to influence politics, a Pew Research poll finds. In Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, and Nigeria, majorities would back the legalization of stoning to punish adultery, the amputation of thieves’ hands, and the death penalty for converts from Islam to other religions,... More »

Dead Sea's Trouble Unites Israel, Palestinians

They're working with Jordanians on bid to save it

(Newser) - You know the Dead Sea is in bad shape when Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians start working together to try and save it. For the past few decades, the Dead Sea has been drying up, its shoreline retreating a little more every year, with massive sinkholes opening up where the... More »

Jordan Too Polluted for Baptisms

Environmentalists say it's been horribly mismanaged

(Newser) - It’s the patch of water where, legend has it, John the Baptist washed Jesus clean. And these days, it’s filthy. Thanks to “severe mismanagement,” the Jordan River is now too polluted for baptisms, an environmentalist group declared this week. Though the Israeli health ministry says the... More »

Al-Qaeda Claims Afghan CIA Attack

7 Americans killed included 2 Blackwater contractors

(Newser) - Al-Qaeda became the latest terrorist organization to claim responsibility for the blast that killed eight operatives at a CIA base in Afghanistan last week, with a statement on the al-Qaeda website identifying the bomber as Abu Dujana, a prominent Islamist author and staple on jihadi websites, CNN reports. US intelligence... More »

CIA Suicide Bomber Was Double Agent

Agency thought Jordanian was spying on al-Zawahiri for US

(Newser) - The suicide bomber who killed seven senior CIA officials last week was a double agent the CIA thought was hunting down Ayman al-Zawahiri for the US. Intelligence officials tell NBC the culprit was Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a doctor and al-Qaeda sympathizer arrested by Jordanian officials more than a year... More »

CIA's Key Shadow Ally: Jordan

Afghan bombing spotlights Amman's pivotal counterterrorism role

(Newser) - The death of a Jordanian intelligence operative alongside seven CIA agents in last week's bombing of a CIA facility in Afghanistan offered an unusually visible sign of Jordan's emerging role as a low-profile but crucial US counterterrorism ally. Since 9/11, the Middle Eastern nation's role in the fight against Islamic... More »

Obama More Popular Than US in Mideast

Jordan is Obama's biggest fan in new survey of Arab world

(Newser) - A new survey has found President Obama to be more popular in the Middle East than the country he leads, and analysts say he may be able to use that goodwill to help restore America’s relations with the region. The president has an average approval rating of 48% across... More »

In Jordan, Pope Decries 'Manipulation' of Religion

(AP) - The top religious adviser to Jordan's king thanked Pope Benedict XVI today for his expression of "regret" after a 2006 speech that many Muslims deemed insulting to Islam's Prophet Muhammad. Benedict told the audience of religious leaders and officials at an Amman mosque that the history of the two... More »

Israel, Palestine Need Outside Support for Lasting Fix

Neighbors must be involved: Friedman

(Newser) - The dominant theory holds that the two-state solution is the answer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the war in Gaza has pushed tensions past the point where an equitable sharing of geography is enough, argues New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. He wants a "five-state solution—Palestine, Egypt, Jordan,... More »

Egypt, Jordan Fear Fallout From Gaza War

Facing citizens' anger, governments may be held responsible

(Newser) - As Israel's Gaza offensive wears on, officials in bordering Egypt and Jordan worry that the carnage is imperiling the possibility of a two-state Israel-Palestine solution. Egypt and to a lesser extent, Jordan, fear that responsibility for the humanitarian crisis there will fall to them, and that they may be forced... More »

Arab States Cancel New Year's Festivities

Celebrations halted in solidarity with Gaza

(Newser) - Dubai's ruler has canceled its ritzy public New Year's Eve celebrations "in solidarity with the Palestinian people" in Gaza, the Times of London reports. Festivities also were called off in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. In Dubai, residents and tourists scrambled to come up with alternative plans. "We... More »

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