Jordan is a constitutional monarchy located in the Middle East. It borders Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iraq. King Abdullah II holds wide executive powers despite restrictions in the constitution. Jordan has peacefully coexisted with Israel since 1994 but domestic protests call for political reforms. Jordan faces security threats from terrorism and works closely with the US and other allies to combat groups like ISIS, though has limited military capabilities to do so without assistance.

1. JORDAN

2. Content Overview
1. Country Profile
2. Political Situation
3. Domestic and Foreign Politics
4. Current Security Situation

3. Demographics
● Sunni dominated Arab country - 98% of the population are Sunni (Source CIA fact book)
Geographic Location
● Share borders with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq
Ruler
●King of Jordan - Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein.
• Holds wide executive and legislative power despite Jordan being a constitutional
monarchy. ( Form of monarchy where the governing powers of the monarch are
restricted by the terms of a constitution.)
Past relation with Israel
● Fought in 2 wars against Israel before a peace treaty was signed on 26 Oct 1994
- Six Day War (1967)
- Yom Kippur War (1973)
Country Profile

4. Framework
● Jordan uses Parliamentary Monarchy to shape its political system
● Jordan is a Constitutional Monarchy (not unlike Thailand before the coup), where the Prime
Minister is the head of government with a multi-party system
● Constitutional Monarchy is based on a constitution promulgated on January 8, 1952
Branches
●The political system is split into Legislative, Judicial and Executive branches with the
Judicial branch being completely independent of the other two branches.
Current Positions:
● King of Jordan is Abdullah II
● Prime Minister is Abdullah Ensour since 11 Oct 2012. He is an Independent Politician, not
affiliated with any political party.
Political System

5. Administrative:
• Jordan is divided into 12 Governorate, each headed by a governor appointed
by the King.
 Ajlun
 Aqaba
 Balqaa
 Karak
 Mafraq
 Amman (Capital)
 Tafilah
 Zarqa
 Irbid
 Jerash
 Ma'an
 Madaba
Political System

6. Decentralization of Political System
● In an effort to boost his reform credentials, the King introduced measures to
decentralize power away from the capital Amman
● Two recently proposed pieces of legislation were rewritten 4 times and caused
controversy. The most recent drafts outlines 3 new levels of democratic
representation on the local level – Local, Municipal and Governorate council
Foreign Relations and Politics
● Balancing diplomatic interests with domestic demands has been tricky for King
Abdullah. The country's peace agreement with Israel and its close ties with the US are
unpopular with many Jordanians.
● Jordan and Egypt are the only 2 Arab countries with peace treaty with Israel.
Domestic and Foreign Politics

7. Terror threats
• Barring from a failed terror attack on US Embassy in Amman in
2012, no known terror attack thus far.
• Last known significant terror attack happened in 2005
2005 Amman bombing (Coordinated bombing attacks on
three hotels carried out by Al-Qaeda in Iraq)
• Authorities have increased presence and vigilance at public
areas and tourist spots since Jordan announced it plans to join
the coalition in September 2014
• On 25 February 2015, US embassy in Amman warns of terror
attack against high-end malls in Amman in response to Al-
Shabaab's video.
Current Security Situation

8. Domestic violence
• Ongoing protest in Jordan since January 2011
• Political demonstration occurs almost every Friday in most part
of Jordan which includes, King Hussein Park, Duwar A-Dakheliya
and Jamal Abdel Nasser Square.
• Size and frequency of protest scaled down in recent years
• Goals of the protest (list is not exhaustive)
Abdication of King Abdullah
Constitutional monarchy
Electoral reform
End to corruption
Political reform
Current Security Situation

9. New ally in fighting ISIS
Jordan has been staunch antagonist of terrorism, which is in line with US
interests in the region.
While it may be on of the countries in the coalition, it does not have the
military capabilities to wage an expanded and long-term counter-
insurgency operation against the Islamic State without significant Arab
and Western assistance. Jordan has approximately 75 to 85 combat-
capable aircraft, including at least 60 F- 16s, yet it may lack significant
stockpiles of precision-guided munitions for its jetfighters. [1]
[1]“IDEX 2015: Jordan seeks UAVs for Missions against the Islamic State,” Jane’s Defence Weekly, Feb 24, 2015.
US interest in region

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