Iraq versus Jordan: MidEast Pains, Coalition Political Gains
Austin Bay Blog
Iraq and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors (Reuters).
Iraqi protests at the Jordanian embassy are the immediate reason– but the deep reason is Abu Musab al- Zarqawi and his Al Qaeda terrorists. Last month a Jordanian terrorist killed himself and 125 Iraqis in the February 28th bloodbath at Hilla. When Jordanians from a the terrorist’s home-town called the killer “a martyr,” Iraqis erupted.
Reuters:
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Iraqi protesters have burned Jordanian flags and broken into the heavily-guarded embassy at least twice since the suicide bombing in Hilla on Feb. 28. They held banners reading “no to terrorism” and called on Arabs to speak out against praise of suicide bombers.
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As the Reuters report notes, both the Jordanian government and the “alledged” terrorist’s family deny the man committed the crime.
However, But, Yet– no one debates Zarqawi’s nationality.
Iraqis are sick and tired of Zarqawi’s and Al Qaeda’s murder and destruction and they want other Arab Muslim countries to take strong action. This hatred for Zarqawi isn’t a new phenomenon – I heard similar comments last summer in Baghdad. Now –after the Iraqi elections– the Iraqi people feel confident enough to demonstrate in the streets. That means they attract cameras– even Al Jazeerah’s.
The demonstrations are another huge political defeat for Al Qaeda. The demonstrations make the point that Al Qaeda kills Arabs, Al Qaeda kills Muslims. Washington fretted -and quite correctly– that the coalition was losing the “information war.” Since January 30th, the Iraqis have been winning that war.
Will Jordan crack down? The Jordanian government is no friend of Al Qaeda. What the Iraqi pressure does, however, is put pressure on Jordanian imams and Al Qaeda sympathizers. “Hey, it’s not New York you attacked, it’s Hilla.” A free, stable Iraq will ignite an economic boom in Jordan, and the Jordanian business community knows this. The last thing the Jordanian government and business establishmentwant to do is anger and alienate the Iraqi electorate. (Yes, electorate– no longer simple “the Iraqi people,” but the Iraqi electorate.)
See this post for a personal statement by a member of the Iraqi electorate, Husayn Uthman. Will The Nation and The Guardian publish it? Okay, I’ll settle for The New York Times.
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