Jordan, Morocco, The Future Of The Middle East - Foreign Policy
Ahmed Charai of the The Foreign Policy Research Institute analyses the position of the kingdoms of Jordan and Morocco in line with the realities facing the Middle East .
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Jordan-Morocco-...
Jordan like Morocco is a liberal monarchy but is surrounded by countries in turmoil like Syria,Iraq,Israel in conflict with the Palestinians with frequent rocket attacks. Lebanon has just suffered a huge car bomb similar to the one that killed Rafiq Hariri,The region is meanced by the posibility of conflict with Iran and Jordan is swamped ith 200,000 Syrian refugees as they flee the civil war in Syria.If Jordan were to fall America would loose the one liberal ally inthe region and the world andthe Middle East would again face the spectre of rocketing fuel prices.
Foreign Policy (FP)notes the visit of King Mohammed VI to Jordan and the field hospital for Syrian refugees the King has set up and the fact that he has raised $ 1 billion from Gulf countries to support Jordan in this emergency with no financial contributionfromthe United States. The Moroccan monarch hasanimportant role in coordinating with Jordan and the Gulf countries their response and aid to the Syrian opposition force without enabling jihadists to hijack the revolution, FP notes that the King of Morocco's role as a coordinator and facilitator will be crucial to the success of this effort.
A new alliance is forming between the rulers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Morocco and Jordan, FP notes.These countries spanthe flashpoints in the Middleeast and are of the greatest concern to the United States. The GCC tothe East faces Iran,In the center, Jordan straddles Syria, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq. Morocco to the West is a stable country well on its way to a full parliamentary democracy whilst neighbours Tunisia and Libya ( and one might add Egypt and Algeria ) struggle to attain the same goal. Last year the GCC
invited Morocco and Jordan to join it to preserve stability in the region, promising to share its oil wealth with the two kingdoms.
This initiative is an opportunity as well as a special opportunity for Morocco, FP asserts. King Mohammed's father King Hassan II was the primary mover in the efforts to attain an Arab Isreali peace agreement decades before Egypt established relationswith Israel.When the Arab States attained independence in the 1970's Morocco assisted them to establish their state security systems. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, King Hasan worked behind the scenes to help the U.S. and NATO ensure that Arab armies joined the coalition to oust the Iraqi dictator,FP observes.
Years ahead of the Arab Spring King Mohammed VI initiated his own approach to democratisation "holding regular local and parliamentary elections, combatting police corruption, securing the rights of women and religious minorities (especially Jews), fostering civil society, supporting human rights and political reform, and ultimately rewriting the constitution to split power with an elected prime minister." FP notes that these measures are now envied by many governments in the region.
Morocco's increasing diplomatic influence in the region,its position on the UN Security Council and its strategic alliance with the United States are leading many in the region to support the idea of Morocco filling the vaccum left by Egypt resuming to its role as peacebroker and promoter of security in the Arab World.
King Mohammed VI has warmly endorsed the value of the GCC and has promoted his own ideas on how morocco and the GCC can work together. The GCC has responded enthusiastically, FP affirms. Moroccocan add special influence to the GCC's policy towards the Israel Palestinian situation offering Israel access top the Gulf's markets in exchange for Palestinian independence. Morocco's long history as a friend of the Jewish people while be of great assistance in the negotiations FP affirms.Morocco can assist the US peace efforts inthe region.
in the case of Iran, as a result of Morocco's role on the UN Security Councilas the sole Arab member and its close links with the GCC and the US it has successfully coordinated a firm response against Iran over the nuclear issue and Iran is increasingly isolated in the muslim world.
FP says that King mohammed VIis aware ofthe need for a culture of tolerance, the rule of law, human rights and democratic reform. both within and outside the GCC and Morocco's experience inbuilding its democracy will be especially valuable.
The GCC could follow NATO's model post cold war in assisting countries inthe region to join it and bolster regionalsecurity, FP suggests.
Foreign Policy (FP)notes the visit of King Mohammed VI to Jordan and the field hospital for Syrian refugees the King has set up and the fact that he has raised $ 1 billion from Gulf countries to support Jordan in this emergency with no financial contributionfromthe United States. The Moroccan monarch hasanimportant role in coordinating with Jordan and the Gulf countries their response and aid to the Syrian opposition force without enabling jihadists to hijack the revolution, FP notes that the King of Morocco's role as a coordinator and facilitator will be crucial to the success of this effort.
A new alliance is forming between the rulers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Morocco and Jordan, FP notes.These countries spanthe flashpoints in the Middleeast and are of the greatest concern to the United States. The GCC tothe East faces Iran,In the center, Jordan straddles Syria, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Iraq. Morocco to the West is a stable country well on its way to a full parliamentary democracy whilst neighbours Tunisia and Libya ( and one might add Egypt and Algeria ) struggle to attain the same goal. Last year the GCC
invited Morocco and Jordan to join it to preserve stability in the region, promising to share its oil wealth with the two kingdoms.
This initiative is an opportunity as well as a special opportunity for Morocco, FP asserts. King Mohammed's father King Hassan II was the primary mover in the efforts to attain an Arab Isreali peace agreement decades before Egypt established relationswith Israel.When the Arab States attained independence in the 1970's Morocco assisted them to establish their state security systems. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, King Hasan worked behind the scenes to help the U.S. and NATO ensure that Arab armies joined the coalition to oust the Iraqi dictator,FP observes.
Years ahead of the Arab Spring King Mohammed VI initiated his own approach to democratisation "holding regular local and parliamentary elections, combatting police corruption, securing the rights of women and religious minorities (especially Jews), fostering civil society, supporting human rights and political reform, and ultimately rewriting the constitution to split power with an elected prime minister." FP notes that these measures are now envied by many governments in the region.
Morocco's increasing diplomatic influence in the region,its position on the UN Security Council and its strategic alliance with the United States are leading many in the region to support the idea of Morocco filling the vaccum left by Egypt resuming to its role as peacebroker and promoter of security in the Arab World.
King Mohammed VI has warmly endorsed the value of the GCC and has promoted his own ideas on how morocco and the GCC can work together. The GCC has responded enthusiastically, FP affirms. Moroccocan add special influence to the GCC's policy towards the Israel Palestinian situation offering Israel access top the Gulf's markets in exchange for Palestinian independence. Morocco's long history as a friend of the Jewish people while be of great assistance in the negotiations FP affirms.Morocco can assist the US peace efforts inthe region.
in the case of Iran, as a result of Morocco's role on the UN Security Councilas the sole Arab member and its close links with the GCC and the US it has successfully coordinated a firm response against Iran over the nuclear issue and Iran is increasingly isolated in the muslim world.
FP says that King mohammed VIis aware ofthe need for a culture of tolerance, the rule of law, human rights and democratic reform. both within and outside the GCC and Morocco's experience inbuilding its democracy will be especially valuable.
The GCC could follow NATO's model post cold war in assisting countries inthe region to join it and bolster regionalsecurity, FP suggests.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Jordan-Morocco-...