Jordan National Movement

Jordan National Movement

Exponential Corruption and Human Rights Abuses in Jordan: Report to the International Community

 

   Dr. Al-Abbadi            Uday Saddam Hussein and King Abdullah II

The worst result of the pervasive corruption in Jordan is the despair and ennui that sets in when people come to believe that the bad guys will never be exposed or called to account.  After several examples of recent mega corruption cases, that wellspring of scandal, the Hashemite royal court, has almost run dry, and Jordanians are now speaking up and speaking out against an endless source of corruption: Jordan's gangs and mafia-like bandits that are directly supported and protected by King Abdullah II and other members of the royal family.  This regime is operating with the support of brutal, omni-present and Gestapo-like security forces that are completely brain-washed, similar to the then Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein.  The absolute monarchy in Jordan, which is preaching division and class struggle, is sowing seeds of strife, suspicion, and on going confrontation.  If there are no moral and political boundaries for the King and the royal family provided in the old constitution, then all things are permitted.  That is why at the Jordan National Movement (JNM) strongly calling for wide and genuine changes in the current monarchy and national constitution.

Corruption becomes a significant obstacle to foreign investment when the whole network of illegal connections and backdoor payoffs gives unfair advantage to the local elite.  Corruption distorts decision-making, hurts competition, market efficiency, and economic development.  Studies show that corrupt procurement practices deter foreign investment while doubling the price that emerging countries pay for goods and services.  It is considerably more difficult to attract foreign companies to any corrupt country such as Jordan, where who you know is more important than what you can do.  The global economy offers corporations many options; so corruption is a factor in choosing where to invest.  Public opinion polls who took them and when were they taken indicate that corruption is one of the most explosive issues facing the royal family.  Jordanians have called corruption "a virus eating away at the regime”.

The royal court chieftains in Amman have built up client clans based on avaricious interests and family ties, putting protégés in key positions and keeping enemies out--no matter what their work experiences and the academic qualifications.  Beneficiaries have been sworn to secrecy.  King Abdullah II’s pernicious circles include close companions.  They cover transactions with equivocating and by backdating paperwork.  There is the appearance that everything is open and proper.  Everyone in the conspiracies or the illegal ventures keeps quiet so everyone will be just fine. 

Countries worldwide are attacking official corruption with renewed vigor; however, Jordanian corruption, in the form of bribery, influence-peddling, money laundering, and the like, is fully encouraged and  supported by King Abdullah II, and it has been on the rise in Jordan since he assumed his absolute and unaccountable power in February 1999.

This report highlights the most recent major corruption cases and human rights abuses in Jordan, based on solid evidence and documentation (please click on the hyperlinks for documentation, further evidence and information):

The Casino Project

Jordan is suffering a severe bout of inflation, created by the combination of rising incomes and an insufficient supply of consumer goods.  There is also a growing housing shortage and a general decline in the provision of social services.  Most ominously of all, Jordan’s $6.3 billion external debt is rapidly increasing.

Jordanian intellectuals have argued that Jordan is ill equipped to make the rapid leap in economic reforms that the King is taking now.  How, for instance, could a nation with an unemployment rate of more than 30 percent cope with the sudden giant increase in all essential consumer’s products such as gas, meat, wheat, eggs, dairy products, rice, and other necessary foodstuffs?  How would an economy already on the brink of collapse respond to such drastic shock therapy?  How could a good environment be established for foreign direct investment in our homeland, as a source of capital and technology, while the monarchy’s regime and its “Yes Sayehdna (Sir) Government” and Royal Court are practicing massive corruption and violating the rule of law on daily basis?

King Abdullah II is known in Jordan for his uncontrollable lust to gambling.  He has put his heavy, unchecked, and absolute power behind the Casino Project agreement signed with an Arab-British businessman a few months ago with the blessing of his unelected government. A government appointed by the King himself.  The terms of this project are very appalling, and proves the foolishness of this King and his criminal associates.  The project was eventually canceled, but the price of cancellation was very hefty: The handpicked government gave this businessman huge pieces of premium real state in selected and strategic areas in Jordan.  

King Abdullah II is well-known also for his stubbornness so he did not listen to his advisers.  One term, clause #26 of the agreement, stated that “the laws of the United Kingdom govern the operation of this Casino, not those of Jordan.” This is in direct violation of clause #33 of the Jordanian Constitution.  This clause prohibits signing of such an agreement without the stamp of approval of, and ratification by, the Jordanian Parliament.  In addition, clauses 909-915 of the Civil Law in Jordan prohibit gambling in the state.  Salamah Al-Dirawi, a respected economic analyst, described this project, “a crime committed against Jordan and its citizens”.

Selling Public-Owned Real-State and Corporations

Our beloved country is going to rack and ruin.  Many economic experts, local and foreign, continue to stress the fragility of Jordan’s economy, and the anxiety of its people. They fear that the adoption of quick and radical economic reforms is too much for the country to bear.

On the other hand, Jordanians are firm believers in gradual economic reforms, but they also stand strongly against the current scope of regulation, the sheer size of the public sector, and an absolute political system that provides so many opportunities for massive corruption, lawlessness, and human rights abuses.  Constitutional changes that would shift executive power from the King to an elected Prime Minister are also very vital and the hallmark of any genuine democratic system and free market economy.

Over that past few years, King Abdullah II started to grant himself huge pieces of government land, and sold these pieces to foreign investors in return for undisclosed mammoth commissions and kickbacks.  The selling process is managed by Bassem Ibrahim Al-Bahlwan, Chief of the Royal Court, whose father has been judged a convicted felon by the U.S. federal court system.  Other Ministers who have been appointed to the government by Al-Bahlwan are working hand in hand with him to contemplate these sweetheart business deals.  These officials have been granted, in honor, the membership of Jordan's Corruption Corporation (JCC), a Hashemite agency protected by the celebrity King Abdullah II. This means that corruption in Jordan has been institutionalized and a normal routine of business and day-to-day activities.

Jordanians are expressing shock at the level of greed that impelled King Abdullah II and his associates to hoard blood money in the name of encouraging foreign direct investment.  They disparage at the apparent collusion between the King and these governmental officials that fattened their secret bank accounts both inside and outside of Jordan at the expense and backs of poor Jordanians.

All types of purges in the public and private sectors must be undertaken immediately.  The health of Jordan’s future in the 21st century depends heavily on these much-needed reforms.  Jordan’s corruption still could take years to root out.  Yet Jordanians are no longer so naive and have never been spiteful.  Full respect of Jordanians’ civil rights must be kept in mind.  Physical abuses, suppressing dissenting voices and official harassment of political activists and journalists must be curbed.

Prison Crisis

Since King Abdullah II assumed his absolute and unaccountable power, extrajudicial killings rose, torture, and limits on freedom of expression continue to pose an intensive and serious plight.  The recent prison incidents in which three prisoners were killed at the hands of the Hashemite Al-Darak Forces (HDF) is one example of this absurd policy.  These prisoners were killed by gunshot wounds to their heads, after a tyrannical onslaught by these brutal forces.  What is worse, is that after the King gave the approval to these peremptory forces to attack these prisoners, he visited the Public Security Forces (PSF) headquarter in Amman pretending to search for what happened, an act which would then be hailed worldwide and advertised by the government-owned Press.  On the other hand, several other campaigns of lies are being conducted now by the same press to hide systemic oppression of the Jordanian people, particularly the opposition.

Dr. Al-Abbadi’s Case

What true Jordanians say in private about King Abdullah II has become bold, their criticism of the royal family increasingly sharp.  They are becoming more disdainful of the regime’s authority and more doubtful of its legitimacy.  No doubt, this has been caused by his foolish local and foreign policies.

Journalists and human rights activists worldwide have confirmed that the recent moves, which include lawsuits and contempt cases against opposition leaders, are among the harshest actions taken against freedom of expression in Jordan since the early 1980’s.

The civil trial of Dr. Al-Abbadi, former Member of Parliament (two terms) and Chairman of the Jordan National Movement, as described by Jordanian and International human rights activists and lawyers, is seen as a clear violation of Dr. Al-Abbadi’s basic human rights. The legal procedures, fabrications and demagogy of this trial testify to the fact that King Abdullah II and his brutal regime are adamant to kill Dr. Al-Abbadi in his prison cell. He is now in a solitary prison cell, and today Dr. Al-Abbadi started a hunger strike in protest for his ill-treatment by prison officials and security guards. On Sunday, June 15, 2008, his family was prohibited by prison authorities to visit him in Al-Muaqar prison. A few days ago, Dr. Al-Abbadi was transferred to Al-Muaqar, a maximum security prison designed for high-profile criminals. This decision was made by King Abdullah II and his co-ruler and wife (Dr.) Queen Rania Yassin. The Honorable Dr. Al-Abbadi is considered a crusader against the regime’s overwhelming corruption, lax management, and enormous human rights violations.

In Jordan, the King has total authority over the national judicial system, the Parliament, and both the media and the press. The potentate can change magistrates' judgments, close up newspapers, carry out martial law, appoint senators rather than having people elect them, form new governments with handpicked Ministers, free corrupt individuals, and change the constitution just by a phone call from his palace.

Instead of granting magistrates autonomy and independence, King Abdullah II intervenes in their rulings and does not allow them to investigate with the most scrupulous observance of the law. Confusing Jordanian citizenry firmly believe that the judiciary must not only be heard, but also be seen as above all parties and any form of compromise. The honorable Jordanians solidly believe that a democratic state cannot live without the deep and genuine confidence of its citizens in the justice system.

Jordan is going through its worst period of dictatorship. The entire nation is in tatters. The people of Jordan are in an unbearable economic situation.  We must find a way to rescue our beloved homeland and our brothers and sisters from the coming dismal fate of total debacle.

King Abdullah II must understand that the world knowledge of his regime’s abuses of human rights is undermining credibility of and respect for him.  It is absolutely mortifying and disgraceful to watch human rights abuses in Jordan.  Particularly, the disrespect for the rule of law and the denial of people’s fundamental public rights such as freedom of expression.

Harassing Journalists

Employing a mix of corruption, bribery and outright coercion, King Abdullah II’s regime has suppressed civil society and the judiciary.  With the repression of the press and the judiciary growing day after day, with the absence of any civil institution of social mobilization, with a bribed and rubber stamp Parliament, and with the added monopoly of radio and television at the behest of King Abdullah II, the morphology of the civil society, of which all the above institutions are crucial pillars, took a disturbing meaning.

The daily emergence of aggressive, independent news press in Jordan is invariably resented and combated by King Abdullah II’s security forces.  The newly won freedoms are fiercely resisted.  Criminal libel suits and massive civil claims are filed by royal court officials and their friends in an effort to frustrate coverage of corruption and human rights abuses.  In Jordan, intimidation is more direct.

Jordanian journalists are facing now more than ever-violent reprisals from King Abdullah II’s armed state security forces.  In Jordan, the good guys are winning, and their stories are getting out, and the bad guys are losing.  Independent Jordanian journalists are following up tips on arrests of opposition members and reporting critically on the regime’s actions.  They are trying to present the truth as they see it, which has begun to capture at least part of the populace’s imagination.  Unfettered reporting may not provoke King Abdullah II’s overthrow, but it is already serving as a catalyst for genuine change.

In recent years, King Abdullah II has become careless to international condemnation, but this has tarnished his image and reputation abroad.  Therefore, the King’s handpicked governments have resorted to all forms of coercion: Killing, physical and psychological torture, imposing draconian press laws, frequent detentions, threats of prolonged jail terms, internal banishment, and systematic impoverishment.

While special treatment, benefits and goodies, such as overseas trips and governmental postings, are given to journalists who give King Abdullah II favorable coverage, endless and on going infantile accusations and brutal actions are directed toward independent journalists and columnists. Personal cars of these journalists have been burned on the hands of King Abdullah II’s Special Forces.

Final Thoughts

It is increasingly clear that the rampant abuse of human rights and official corruption in Jordan, if left unchecked, can be a powerful drag on the nation’s economic growth.  It must be curtailed if Jordan is to thrive in the global economy of the 21st century. Predicting the collapse of King

Abdullah II’s regime has been unpopular for recent years, but never more so than in the past months.  There have been recent signs of potential unrest at the top.  Certainly, the above evidence suggests such outcomes.

We urge foreign donors oversee their projects in Jordan directly and make it mandatory that the unelected government and its rubber stamp parliament work together to draft and ratify a legislation that gives the judiciary branch independent and unlimited legal power to investigate any case of corruption committed and conducted by any party or individual, including members of the royal family. For instance, scandalous revelations such as selling influence and taking graft to fund their parties and line their pockets particularly those corrupt princes, princesses, the royal family relatives and cronies who outnumber the taxi drivers in Jordan must be investigated fully and in public.  This bill should also provide for extradition of corrupt officials and urges transparency in hiring and procurement as well as pass laws against the "illicit enrichment" of government officials.

The biggest impediment to development in Jordan is deeply entrenched public and private sector corruption.  The United States, European Union, Japan and Germany must insist that its foreign aid packages to Jordan are contingent on tangible progress in attacking these problems at their root.  The United States Congress’ message must be clear: countries overcome by corruption will not longer be coddled, nor will aid constantly be available to repair just enough of the damage done by corruption to attract foreign investment. Creating, in effect, an infinite loop of looters begetting looters.

Jordanian citizens must also take to the streets to protest corrupt practices and human rights abuses, to elect anticorruption candidates and to impeach corrupt officials in the royal court--including the King and his family, who proved to be the most corrupt monarchy folk on earth, and other governmental comptrollers such as appointed premiers and cabinet ministers.

Cc:

Senator Barak Obama, U.S. Presidential Nominee (Via Chief of Staff)

Senator John McCain, U.S. Presidential Nominee (Via Chief of Staff)

Senator James Biden, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Via his Professional Staff)

Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary General

Members of U.S. Congress: Foreign Relations, International Relations and Appropriations Committees (Via Professional Staff)

European Union, Delegation of the European Commission to the United States
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Transparency International

U.S. and Worldwide Human Rights Organizations and Political Institutions 

U.S. and Jordanian Press and Media

 

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Fake Parliament Elections in King Abdullah II's Kingdom of Corruption: Highlights...

A Jordanian woman (voter) swears on Al-Quran (watch closely a copy of the Holy book positioned directly under her right hand) before a representative of a candidate running for Parliament elections that she will vote for that candidate in exchange for 100 Jordanian Dinar ($150)

A representative of a candidate checks out the ID cards of voters before handing out the money to them (he is holding in the right hand the voting card and the cash money in the left hand)…also, notice the picture was taken by Petra, the official news agency of King Abdullah II’s brutal regime

King Abdullah II: Corrupt, Absolute and Thuggish Dictator

JNM, Amman, Jordan (Thursday, November 22, 2007): King Abdullah II’s games of holding fake, tribal and violent Parliament elections have been reported now all over the world. For the records and the civilized world to witness, widespread and significant fraud and vote rigging have occurred in the Hashemite Kingdom of Corruption lead by the illustrious King Abdullah II. The General Intelligence Department (GID) in Amman received direct orders from the king to target and interfere in specific geographical classes of people, electoral districts and polling stations. For example, in Amman, Zarqa and Aqaba provinces, hundreds of security agents, in civilian clothes, were seen in buses moving from one polling station to another voting multiple times for pro-regime candidates. The GID has already specified these districts and polling stations that they must interfere in to defeat independent and opposition candidates. Further, the Ministry of Interior, lead by the donkey Eid Al-Fayez, used the computing power of PCs to manipulate results and sway election in several provinces, cities and towns in the country. And stuffing ballot boxes and absurd schemes of voter intimidation were also spotted in several important polling stations across this corrupt Kingdom. Eyewitnesses in the town of Al-Hashmiah, Zarqa Province, confirmed to JNM in Amman that Nawrs Khreisah, appointed County Supervisor and Chairman of the Elections Committee in this town,  received from Nawaf Al-Mualla, a tribal candidate, a sum of JD35,000 ($50,000) in exchange for stuffing 1000 votes for Al-Mualla in ballot boxes located in the city of Al-Suqnah. A large crowd of protesters are now roaming the streets of Al-Hashmiah waiting for this corrupt official to beat him up.

Fahad Al-Khitan, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Arab Al-Yawm daily newspaper, wrote today (November 22, 2007) that many “violations took place in particular electoral districts, where Islamists are running for these elections….independent press reports stressed that underage voters were allowed to vote…independent monitors witnessed that hundreds of people with fake IDs have been able to vote…the Ministry of Interior caught more than 20 individuals responsible for producing these forged identification cards.” He added, “The major factor that defeated Islamists in many districts is the transferring process of thousands of votes…these votes have been easily sold on the day of elections in the biggest ever operation of vote-buying in Jordan's history…”. Mr. Al-Khitan said, “Near polling stations, there were transportation buses, filled with hundreds of voters, coming from poor neighborhoods in Amman…these voters were seen entering polling stations and voting (orally) for particular candidates…as soon as voters exited these stations, they received a final payment of cash money from representatives of candidates, waiting outside the building…same process occurred in other electoral districts across the country…one monitor said that more than 40 candidates won these Parliament elections via vote-buying.” Further, a scientific poll conducted by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS), between October 17, 2007 and November 2, 2007, revealed that “more than three-quarters said they were aware of the phenomenon (vote-buying), out of which 66.3 per cent said vote buying was taking place in their districts.”

Yes, Parliament elections in Jordan were stolen and fixed by King Abdullah II and his corrupt officials and Gestapo-like security forces.

 

 

The outcome of the current elections law: Tribal violence, intra-family divisions and fighting have flared in many areas in the country. Also, tribal competition was the dominant factor in these fake elections, and the absence of intellectuals, reformers and leaders of civil society has been evident since the enactment of this tribal law by a royal decree in August 1993. Since February 1999, the aim for this little king has been garnering more power and tribal support, regardless of the human cost, so he and his corrupt royal family can govern at ease, with comfort and very little opposition.

King Abdullah II fears opposition. This man who listens to people speaking in Arabic and writes their sayings in English does not deserve this leadership position…this king whose new chief of the royal court comes from a family convicted in the U.S. Federal court is not just corrupt, but also a thief….this man who appoints minorities in key governmental positions, such as the new Prime Minister whose brother is the current chief of intelligence community (similar to what the dictator Saddam Hussein used to do in Iraq), is careless of what the people of Jordan think of this ludicrous decision…this king who has not been elected by the people themselves has no legitimacy to govern… this king who encourages and urges the use of massive and conspicuous vote-buying to tighten his grip on absolute power in Amman does not deserve respect….

Ladies and gentlemen: This king is ruthless, disrespectful and has no honor whatsoever…his eventual place, in the near future, will be in a hole, exactly what happened to the criminal Saddam Hussein….

Additional facts, statistics, and statements from independent journalists and professional members in the Jordanian civil society re: 2007 Parliament elections:

-The Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan announced the results of its November 07 scientific poll: 37 percent of the surveyed citizens demand a change in the current elections law, and 50 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the previous Parliament. Comments re: the results of this poll: http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=3574.

--Well-respected Journalist Rana Sabagh wrote in Al-Arab Al-Yawm daily newspaper, on Saturday, November 17, 2007, that the “Fakeness of candidates’ slogans, running for Parliament elections on November 22, the unprecedented spending on buying votes by many candidates and their appointed representatives, and the massive and systematic transferring process of registered voters from one district to another to support pro-government candidates will change and flip the electoral equation upside down…” She added, “The current [tribal] elections law has drifted the elections process down the drain…it has stripped every electoral district from any meaningful political or legislative purpose…the aim of this law was to weaken Islamists, however, it has produced Parliament members whose main concerns lie with personal and clans’ interests rather than legislative, economic and political reforms…”

--Today, Ayman Al-Safadi, from the daily Al-Ghad newspaper, wrote, “The government [of King Abdullah II] contributed to the disfiguring and damaging process of the political tools and applications when it insisted that the 1993 elections law must not be changed…this law has crystallized and solidified tribalism and individualism, and prevented establishing effective and quality political parties that voters can choose their representatives from based on transparent political and practical programs..."

--Journalist Samih Mayttah made it clear in his article, appeared in Al-Ghad daily newspaper on Saturday, November 17, 2007, that “The government has done very little to prevent the rampant vote-buying…all it has done was issuing empty threats with little backing and practical measures on the street….”

---In a workshop held at the Yarmouk University on Friday November 16, Dr. Mohammad Bani Salamh, Professor of Political Science at this University, said, “Democracy in Jordan has been kidnapped by those wealthy people whose main concern is to harness Parliament, political parties and newspapers, to serve their own personal interests…poor citizens (selling their votes for money) are being used by those rich candidates as cosmetic and incredible witnesses to push political events and reforms backward….”

Our say: Indeed, King Abdullah II is behind all of this mess. He has refused to change the elections law and pressured his handpicked government to follow his absolute directives. Any member of the cabinet refuses such orders will be thrown out and their political life will end indefinitely. King Abdullah II is not a partner for freedom and peace, and definitely is not an anti terrorism ruler. He contributes to the spread of terrorism in a different way, very similar to what the military dictator Musharaf has been doing in Pakistan: Repressing the people of Jordan to keep holding his absolute grip on power in Amman…the outcome simply more evil terrorists being created on streets of Jordan, and eventually exported to the outside world to create havoc and bloodshed…Shame on you, your Majesty!

The international press and media have finally figured out the truth about this repressive and deceiving regime of King Abdullah II. The military monarch now is being watched very closely by the democratic international community...the Western press is now bashing and putting the little king in the place he belongs…basically, King Abdullah II, who has been sucking foreign aid and funds to strengthen his thuggish regime, is now has no face value nor an honor to stand up and spread out more lies and fabrications to the civilized world….

International Coverage:

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10178007&fsrc=RS

Los Angeles Newspaper: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-jordanelect19nov19,1,6706923.story?coll=la-news-a_section

BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7101009.stm

 

The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/world/middleeast/11jordan.html?ex=1352437200&en=45d4a209d8f7418d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111901497.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/13/AR2007111301615.html

Associated Press: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_women_s_battle_1;_ylt=AgVELGAdWCbB4BhHO7zFtsFYU.0A

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071119/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_refugees_vote_1;_ylt=ApJy3hLqLEfEWyumkd25aeFYU.0A

AFB: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071113/wl_mideast_afp/jordanvoteislamists_071113190324;_ylt=AnE_LgNhJC9hNtXntsOhRcFYU.0A

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071119/wl_mideast_afp/jordanvote_071119125558;_ylt=ApvkDRi5xzBkiFGSEoG7Of1YU.0A

Reuters: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071118/wl_nm/jordan_election_dc_1;_ylt=Al5L1_Yc7fsY9WdaQYBU3PZYU.0A

Voice of America: http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-21-voa46.cfm

King Abdullah II’s Justice System and New Parliament: Bribery and Fakeness!

A Sample of the Demagogy of New Parliament Candidates in Jordan: Refuse to Stand in Line to Register Their Names for November 20th Elections

King Abdullah II and President Musharaf of Pakistan: Thuggish Dictators in Fancy Civilian Clothes!

JNM, Amman-Jordan (Friday, November 9, 2007):  King Abdullah II has new nicknames! The common people in the street call him Luai (playboy) and Al-Maniak (gay), but the professional and educated citizens describe him as a faceless and dishonorable man who keeps lying, not just to the Jordanian people, but also to the civilized world as well.   

A few weeks ago, King Abdullah II ordered his military court not to release Dr. Al-Abbadi’s file so his lawyers won’t be able to appeal the verdict, issued against Dr. Al-Abbadi (read news story below), to the  Court of Cassation...just another example of many that proves how vicious and absurd the absolute monarchy system in Jordan is…

On the other hand, King Abdullah II ordered his unelected government to limit the monitoring scheme of Parliament elections (scheduled to take place on Nov. 20th) by the Alliance of Civil Society (composed of 11 Jordan-based human rights and opposition groups). According to the donkey Minister of Interior Eid Al-Fayez, “this Alliance is allowed only to monitor these elections from outside the polling stations….their role is limited to watch from a distance…they are not allowed to attend elections tallying process or the announcements of election results…”

Further, King Abdullah II ordered his corrupt government and its bribed judges to prevent the outspoken former MP, Tawjan Faisal, from running again in the imminent yet already compromised Parliament elections. The reason, according to one of these judges, is ludicrous: She has been convicted (on misdemeanor charges) and imprisoned by King Abdullah II’s military court, a few years ago, for blasting and accusing senior officials in the government and royal family of corruption and nepotism.

So what is the difference between King Abdullah II and President Musharaf of Pakistan? Nothing: Both are thuggish dictators whose main concern is to hold their grip on power regardless of the cost to the respected citizens in Jordan and Pakistan.

Municipality Elections in Jordan: Thuggery and forgery…The Hashemite Style!

Civilians Protesting Aganist King Abdullah II's Illegal and Absurd Intervention in Municipality Elections

Islamists and Jordanians of Palestinian Origin Pulled Out of Lines by Force and Prevented From Voting

JNM, Amman-Jordan (Tuesday, July 31, 2007): Municipality elections in Jordan were rigged and marred by widespread fraud. These elections were held purely for showing the world that King Abdullah II is pro democracy and political reforms. The truth: These elections have no political purpose and lack the fundamental basis of legitimacy and democracy.

Election ballot fraud in Jordan's municipality elections must be taken seriously. The facts are as follows

1. The Islamic Action Front (IAF) of Muslim Brotherhood has withdrawn all of its candidates. Many independent candidates, not supported by the corrupt regime of King Abdullah II, withdrew as well.

2. Tens of thousands of active security and military personnel, soldiers and even naval officers rode vans and buses from military barracks and governmental buildings, to poll stations to cast their ballots in today’s elections for predetermined (pro absolute monarchy) and tribal candidates, based on orders (military style), from their commanders and the General Intelligence Directorate (GID).

3. As soon as people noticed these buses, they started protesting, but security forces were onsite (as part of the despicable plan) to prevent this public outrage by force.

4. Elections in several cities have been postponed due to low turn out and violence instigated by the unelected government of King Abdullah II. Fierce protests in several major cities, town and villages occurred because of embarrassing irregularities and forgery.

 

5. Parliamentary and municipality elections take place in Jordan based on the tribal system: one person, one vote, introduced and ratified by a Royal Decree in August 1993. More info on this absurd system: http://www.jordannationalmovement.org/Flaws in Jordans Elections Law Dec 8 2006.doc

6. Thousands of ballots were prepared and filled ahead of time for pro government and absolute monarchy candidates. Many people were allowed to vote multiple times, and hundreds of voters, suspected of being Islamists or Jordanians of Palestinian origin, were disencouraged and, in many instances, barred from voting. For instance, Mohammad Moussa Al-Goaari, a tribal candidate supported by King Abdullah II and his intelligence community, became the Mayor of Zarqa (second largest Province in the country) after receiving 146,933 votes in these elections, a shocking result because Al-Goaari is very unpopular and does not even posses a high school diploma. Many eyewitnesses reported and emphasized that King Abdullah II’s soldiers and secret police voted multiple times for Al-Goaari.

7. Jordanians of Palestinian origin (make up at least 60% of the country’s population) boycotted these elections (running and voting) due to the fact that elections results have already been compromised and predetermined.  

Statements From A Few Eyewitnesses, Amongst Thousands:

"I am someone who was representing an independent candidate in these municipality elections…I was inside a poll station…I am speaking candidly and honestly…I am not taking side of government or opposition…at the beginning, everything was going on 100% correct…afterwards, I sensed and observed, like other representatives inside this station, that groups of young citizens, age 22-35 years old, come in and cast their ballots in groups, over specific periods of time during elections day. They were casting their votes, claiming verbally that they do not read and write (to avoid having their ballots cast in writing in order to hide any material evidence of their crimes). The representative of the Islamic Action Front left the station for good...like us, he felt that something sketchy is cooking behind closed doors…one representative in the same poll station was found to be an intelligence officer..."

Arabic Version of the Above Statement:

انا شخص كنت مندوب عن احد المرشحين المستقلين في قاعة الترشيح والفرز اتكلم بصراحة عنما شاهدت بغض النظر عن وجهة نظر الحكومة او المعارضة في بداية التصويت كان الوضع صحي?% بعد ذالك شعرنا انا وكل المراقبين للصناديق ان هناك مجموعة من الشباب تتراوح اعمارهم مابين 22-35 يأتون بين الحين والحين ويدي غالبيتهم انهم (اميين) فكان هذا الشعور متداول داخل القاعة ان هناك فلم معين شعر بهمندوبا حزب جبهة العمل بشكل علني وخرجوا من القاعة المفاجئ ان الجيش كان يفعل ذالك لوجود من يدعي انه مندوب مع انه ضابط إستخبارات

Another Eyewitness (Elections Official):

"I am saying, and very sorry to state this, that I was one of the elections officials…I saw government’s intervention in my own naked eyes: Every single soldier was casting his ballot at least 10 times…when I left the poll station and came back, I observed soldiers, wearing civilian clothes, casting their votes at least 7 times for particular and specific candidates…I was told by other elections staff that we have received orders from the Prime Minister’s Office and District Supervisor that we must fill out hundreds of official ballots and get them ready for these soldiers…Honest to God, and I am saying and directing this to our Master Abu Hussein (King Abdullah II): Our life time is going on in your presence, but shameful and unfulfilled…."

Arabic Version of the Above Statement:

اقولها و كلي اسف لما حدث لقد كنت احد المشرفين على التصويت و الفرز بالامس و شاهدت كل التلاعب بعيناي فكا جندي انتخب اكثر من 10 مرات و عندما خرجت من قاعتي للمراقبه دخلت بين صفوف الجنود الذين يلبسون الزي المدني و سمح لي معهم بالانتخاب سبع مرات كما شاهدت تعبئه مئات البطاقات من قبل اللجان التي قالت انها اوامر عليا من البخيت و المتصرف... لا والله سيدي ابو حسين جار علينا الزمن بوجودك فانقضنا

One More Eyewitness:

"Honestly, what happened is not elections...it is merely tribal elections…those who have been elected are unqualified tribal sheikhs…In fact, if more than one candidate runs for elections from the same tribe, a much less qualified wins…when my family (3 males and 3 females) went to cast their votes, we found only 3 of us registered (female members only) and the rest of us (3 males) unregistered (most likely soldiers voted on their behalf)? This has happened with many other families…there is a significant vote rigging occurred in these elections, particularly in Irbid Greater Area…."

Arabic Version of the Above Statement:

بصراحه هذه مش انتخابات ديموقراطيه بل اصبحت عشائريه حيث انه لا ينتخب الاكفا بل اللي نازل من العشيره واذا نزل اكثر من واحد من نفس العشيرة فالمصيبة اكبر بحيث انه يضاربوا على بعض وينجح المنافس الغريب , انا وعائلتي ممن لهم 6 اصوات 3 ذكور 㻓 اناث فعندما ذهبنا لكي ندلي باصواتنا فؤجئنا بانه يوجد فقط 3 اصوات اناث وا㺫 اصوات الذكور لم يجدوا لهم اسماء مسجله في قوائم المسجلين وليس نحن فقط بل الكثر الكثر فاين اسمائهم ذهبت , هناك تلاعب كبير وخاصه في بلدية اربد الكبرى

International Press Coverage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/world/middleeast/31cnd-jordan.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6923923.stm

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2007/07/31/opposition_pulls_out_of_jordan_elections/

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C4ECC7EF-5A3D-4EB9-AE79-C8741885D955.htm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070801/wl_mideast_afp/jordanvote_070801114409;_ylt=AhHrafNP0dLE2.SLVncgHvxYU.0A

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070731/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_elections_4;_ylt=At2vokvr4E0PWI_f2rbkyaRYU.0A

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070731/wl_mideast_afp/jordanvoteislamists_070731104900;_ylt=Apu4Sro88Yy82C7w3kPhkZJYU.0A

Local Press Coverage:

http://www.jordantimes.com/thu/homenews/homenews1.htm

http://www.jordantimes.com/wed/homenews/homenews1.htm

For further information, please stay tuned….

Spreading Monarchical Lies in Canada!

King Abdullah II Now in Canada Spreading Endless Lies to the Global Community!

JNM, Amman-Jordan (Sunday, July 15, 2007): King Abdullah II, the unaccountable king and new dictator in the Middle East, must not be ashamed of himself…under his leadership, the current rotten state of affairs in Jordan has risen exponentially and on a grand scale…he and members of the royal family in Amman have brought upon Jordan misery and anarchy through their greed and lust for unlimited power. The root of the problem is the policy of the king, including his cohorts and henchmen, of concentrating absolutely uncontrolled power in their own hands, allegedly for the sake of reform. It is already becoming obvious that this much power is turning, inevitably, into “mafia rule.”

The showcase of radical economic reforms, admired by international financial organizations such as the World Bank and IMF, that King Abdullah II is selling and advertising now to the local and international audiences, are not coupled and supported by genuine political reforms. Not only the king condones corruption, he dabbled in it himself. In Jordan, the very absolute monarchical system is unaccountable and corrupt: Whereas the people of Jordan pay high income and sales taxes to the unelected government, King Abdullah II and the royal family are immune from doing the same. Also, the king appoints Prime Minister, Ministers, members of the Senate and has refused to amend Parliament elections law that has been designed to attract tribal leaders, Sheikhs and unprofessional legislators so he can enjoy little resistance from this type of legislative body.

Economic reforms and transparency will go nowhere without genuine freedom: freedom of the press, speech and freedom to elect our own government in Amman!

King Abdullah II of Jordan: The New Dictator of the Middle East!

JNM, Amman-Jordan (Sunday, July 1, 2007): In an interview with Al-Ghad Daily Newspaper, King Abdullah II dodged a direct question from the Editor-in-Chief, Ayman Al-Saffadi, re: the next Parliament elections in Jordan. Here is a full translation of the question and the king’s embarrassing answer:

Question: Your Majesty, please let me go back to the internal affair, specifically the subject of Parliament elections: There are opinions out there say that the (current) elections law will bring forth (new) Parliament that is similar to the current one. What do you think, your Majesty?

Answer: We have always tried to support and sustain the democratic march in Jordan. We are still hoping that we have political parties that possess transparent programs and policies that focus on people’s diverse problems, economic and social...these programs need to be serious and practical, and put before voters for their judgment and blessing...eventually this is to beef up the democratic march and the principal of participation and pluralism. We look forward to seeing genuine (political) parties that have the base and power to win the confidence of people to elect their own candidates; however, many parties have not been proactive to win the confidence of people.

At the end, we need strong Parliament that meets our inspirations and ambitions, and stand up for the problems we are facing....we have always betted on the maturity of our people to participate in the decision making process by voting and choosing the best for the current stage. Elections are coming up this year...I have said this right from the beginning that there will be municipal and parliamentarian elections....this is what will happen.

We want to push elections in Jordan in the right direction....so the citizen has the ability to discern between those who can serve and support the development process and those who cannot...we want the votes of Jordanians to surpass the negatives and barriers that face us and the region.

I call upon and depend on all Jordanians youth to participate and vote effectively in the next Parliament elections to achieve our vision, which is the same as their ambition and vision, to build Jordan....

Our say:

Notice the king’s answer: he is the ultimate decider! He avoided answering this good question. King Abdullah II wants this and that to happen….he wants the people of Jordan to do whatever he pleases…he decides when elections take place…he decides when municipality elections occur…he decides what the Jordanian people must do and must no do….what kind of King we have in Jordan? Why does not he allow the people of Jordan to decide on their own…why does not he step aside (constitutional monarchy) and let the people control their destiny….simply put: King Abdullah II is a thuggish dictator, lies to the watching world, not ashamed of himself and very careless of what other people think of him.

Here are the facts:

-- No single change in the political, economic, legislative and/or social arenas takes place and shapes in the country without the blessing and direct involvement of King Abdullah II and his intelligence community!

--In March 2007, King Abdullah II ratified the Law of Penalties that allows for the prosecution and imprisonment of journalist(s) and individual(s) who commit action or publish an opinion that represents an insult to people’s religious sentiments or beliefs, instigates sectarianism or racism, slanders or libels against the state, individuals or their personal freedoms and spreads false information or rumors about them. This law forbids sending emails that carry criticism of the king and royal family, stressing such emails must be considered as a form of terrorism: The punishment is 3 years in prison plus hard labor. This law represents the Hashemite dictatorship at its best! 

--King Abdullah II has refused to amend or change the current Parliamentarian elections law, a very unfair and controversial piece of legislation, criticized by many domestic and international observers and experts on national elections, King Abdullah II reported in Al-Arab Al-Yawm Newspaper, on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, that “the government decided not to change the current Parliamentarian elections law,” which is a fabricated response designed to mislead the public and international community since the government in Jordan is appointed directly and fully controlled by the king. The news from Amman about the state of Jordan in the political and economic arenas are staggering. These numbers came from a scientific questionnaire conducted by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan in Amman in July of 2003: 73.5% of those people surveyed have witnessed “vote buying” during the last parliamentarian elections. On a scale of 1 to 10, interviewees rated democracy in Jordan at 5.45. Furthermore, 83.2% of the surveyed people believed that they will be put in jail if they criticize the government; 88.8% of people polled stressed that they want to live in freedom, governed by a democratic system that guarantees justice, equality, civil liberties, and economic prosperity among all Jordanians. More than 42% of respondents think that the current Parliament is nothing but a rubber stamp, and, therefore, irrelevant.

--The following numbers and facts came from a very recent scientific survey conducted by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan from July 12, 2006-December 14, 2006. The results of this questionnaire were made public on Tuesday, January 2, 2007: “The Jordanian public…holds a favorable view of political reform (defined here as the transition to more democratic models of governance) with more than 80% of respondents holding the view that political reform will improve their family’s living standards.”  Further, significant proportion of interviewees (40%) made it very clear that “the best system of governance for Jordan is one in which the governing authority is elected, guarantees political freedoms, and empowers parliament to oversee governing powers and hold them to account.” As far as the current bribed Parliament is concerned, this questionnaire made it very obvious that “More than 50% of respondents held the view that the [current] Chamber of Deputies [Parliament] did not fulfill its role in holding the government to account, communicating with citizens and representing their concerns, monitoring governmental activities and performing its legislative role. All this suggests that there is a public crisis of confidence regarding the Chamber of Deputies’ performance.”

-- King Abdullah told the late news anchor Peter Jennings of ABC news on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, that he is open to constitutional monarchy (http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=583538&page=1); however, since that famous interview, King Abdullah has become more thuggish and dictatorial!

Ladies and Gentlemen: Above is a brief bio of the illustrious King Abdullah II of Jordan: The new dictator of the Middle East!

King Abdullah II’s Bluffing Continues!

JNM, Amman-Jordan (June 4, 2007): On Sunday, June 3, 2007, King Abdullah II visited the Palace of Justice in Amman and this is what he said, “We will not be able to advance Jordan and upgrade it economically, socially and politically unless the judiciary is enhanced.” He continued to say, “Clear measures should be adopted to enhance the independence of the judiciary in the next stage.”

 

And this is what he has done re: Dr. Al-Abbadi:

1. He has ordered the arrest of Dr. Al-Abbadi, Former Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Jordan National Movement (JNM), and refused to allow the designated Judge and Amman Public Prosecutor to release him on bail under any circumstances and despite the fact that the existing laws in Jordan prohibit and stand against such barbaric, monarchical action.

2. In a private, recent meeting in Amman, Mr. Eid Al-Fayez, Minister of Interior, who was criticized of corruption by Dr. Al-Abbadi a few weeks ago, stated to the effect that he has been pressured from very important people above him (referring to the king and members of royal family) to sue Dr. Al-Abbadi. Al-Fayez stressed that he is not interested to pursue or take any legal action whatsoever against Dr. Al-Abbadi.

3. When he was asked to interfere in Dr. Al-Abbadi’s case, the appointed Prime Minister, Marouf Al-Bakhit said, privately, “if I do, I will be going home the next day (terminated by the king).”

Now, who is the real bluffer and violator of the basic and international standards of human rights? Who is the thuggish dictator who is not ashamed to lie and speak with double-face to the people in Jordan and abroad? Who is the real human rights abuser that has dared to take brutal actions against those people who defend freedom of expression and cracked the whip on opposition to absolute monarchy in Jordan? Who is the evil dictator who has been intimidating civil rights activists and journalists in the country? Who is the one who makes people pay tax, but he does not?

Ladies and gentlemen: He is King Abdullah II of Jordan!

Unfit King, Crazy Uncle: The Foolish Choices of the Hashemite Family in Jordan

Prince El Hassan bin Talal

JNM, Amman-Jordan (Sunday, April 22, 2007): For a desperately poor country, Jordan’s current leadership has proved weak and untrustworthy. King Abdullah II’s local and foreign policies have had a deeply damaging structural impact on Jordanians. The royal family in Jordan has lost its moorings. The royal family rings hollow. The royal family is self-serving. Leaders restore moorings. And King Abdullah II, a man deeply unmoored, is precisely not the man to revitalize peace and lead Jordan and its citizens in the Middle East and at the world stage.

Over the past couple of days, two major stories emerged from Jordan: On Friday, April 20, 2007, King Abdullah II told the Israeli Haaretz Newspaper that he “favored the payments over granting Palestinian refugees and their millions of descendants the right to return to the West Bank and Gaza.” In the same interview, he scolded Dr. Amro Moussa, the Arab League Secretary-General, by saying “leave him (Dr. Moussa) to me” and insisted that the Arab Initiative issued by the Arab Summit held in Saudi Arabia last month is merely “talking points” and Israel has the “right to veto” any clause in this Initiative. Also, King Abdullah II stated that if we leave things as they are, Iran will reach to the Jordan River. The King is desperately trying to score political points in Tel Aviv and Washington, after his foolish speech at the U.S. Congress in March, 2007, by showing the decision makers in these capitals, that he is the only Arab ruler who can make peace with, understand and show sympathy to the Israeli side. The king needs to understand that Israel needs genuine, warm and comprehensive peace with all Arab countries. Israel needs lasting peace with the Arab people, not these thuggish and exposed regimes that have no respect to the fine principles of democracy, justice, human rights and freedom of expression…this is the peace that the Israeli people are looking for, not monarchical, cold peace!

On the other hand, Jordanian security forces, on Saturday, April 21, 2007, “confiscated a videotape of an Al-Jazeera (Arab Satellite Station) interview with the country's former (Crown Prince Hassan) in which the broadcaster said the Jordanian royal sharply criticized U.S. policies in the Middle East as "destructive." Ghassan Ben Jeddou, Al-Jazeera's Bureau Chief in Beirut, Lebanon, said, “the prince had also cited U.S. reports that a national security adviser in Saudi Arabia was financing Sunni militants to fight the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon.” Al-Jazeera “identified the Saudi official as Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a former ambassador to Washington.”

These serious events reflect a political stream in the Hashemite family dominated by politics of despair and tainted by nonsensical thoughts and a classic case of doubletalk and doublethink. The political behavior of King Abdullah II and his uncle clearly reflect foolishness. The prince is seeking attention and the king is working towards a cold peace, even colder than the pace of consolidation of the peace accord between Egypt and Israel, which has been slow and painful on many occasions. Israeli people will never reach peace with the Arab people if their elected government signs peace treaties with these dictatorial and thuggish Arab regimes. The winning battle of peace must be achieved by the people themselves: King Abdullah II has not been elected and he does not represent or speak on behalf of the Jordanian people!

Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) King: The Arabic Language Dilemma of King Abdullah II

Amman, JNM (April 4, 2007): Commanding the native language of a country is a very important skill for the proactive and successful leaders of that country. In fact, it is a key tool for those leaders to communicate with their followers and the people in the street. King Abdullah II lacks this important communication skill and tool. This embarassing shortcmoing has been live and present at key Arabic events as well. In the recent Arab Summit held in Sudan, the king had delegated Faisal Al-Fayez, the former appointed Prime Minister, to deliver his Arabic speech. In Saudi Arabia, a few days ago, King Abdullah II did not give a speech. Instead, his staff circulated the excerpt of his speech to the press corps.

 

In his visits to Jordanian cities and villages, King Abdullah II does not speak much in Arabic, but relies very heavily on his staff to jot down what people say to him so his wife Queen Rania can translate these notes to Arabic for the king, later in the evening or the next day, according to reliable sources at the royal court. And when he speaks in Arabic, people laugh at him! A few months ago, King Abdullah II said in a very funny Arabic accent, on national TV, “kel wahid be saker tmoh (everyone must shut up).” People across Jordan laughed and have been very upset and shaking their heads that their unaccountable and unelected king cannot speak their own language!

Also, King Abdullah II has never showed up before local and regional Arabic speaking press conferences to avoid embarrassment due to his heavy Arabic accent and out of concern that he would not understand the questions voiced in Arabic. The same above reliable sources informed JNM that when an Arabic-based newspaper asks to interview King Abdullah II, the royal court staff asks for the questions in advance, prepares the text of answers and insists that the interview is set up as a photo opportunity and focused on very informal, unrecorded conversation.

Yes, in our own country Jordan: we have an ASL King!!!

The Hashemite Royal Court: A Hotbed of Massive Corruption, Favoritism and Human Rights Abuses

JNM, Amman--Jordan: Unfortunately, due to mammoth corruption, lax management, abuse of foreign aid in the Hashemite royal court and appointed government: unofficial unemployment rate is currently more than 30%, more than 80% of Jordanian families are now under the poverty line, and mounting $8.4 billion foreign debt is resting on the heads and chests of the Jordanian people. This is the resume of King Abdullah II! Dr. Mohammad Al-Sqoor, member of the board of directors at the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), stated before King Abdullah II on Sunday, December 17, 2006, that “78 percent of Jordanian families are renting and do not own an apartment or house.” He added that “80 percent of Jordanians, even though they work full-time jobs, are ranked under the poverty column.” 

The virus of corruption is developing into a life-threatening illness for the Hashemite royal court. In recent surveys and polls of public opinion, corruption continues to rank at the top of the complaints of Jordanian citizens, with the specifics ranging from paying bribes to get employment in the government to watching from the streets as King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania living in palaces made in heaven, flying on private jets and touring European counties every other week and spending outrageous amounts of money on the latest fashions of clothes and jewelry. King Abdullah II is ignoring public dissatisfaction and has refused to cease his current attitude of complacency in the face of any signs of misuse of power and resources, particularly by those who are close friends to and business partners with him and the royal family. Everyday, Jordanians witness corruption as the king’s cronies, members of the royal family and intelligence community, Parliament’s bribed members, Sharifs, the royal court’s entourage vacationing on the Red Sea or drive by in luxury cars.

The great majority of Jordanian people firmly believe that as long as an overwhelming concentration of political and economic powers resides in the hands of King Abdullah II, the royal family and interlocking elites, its abuse becomes inevitable. When the people of Jordan discover that they are hopeless, digging down in the black hole of poverty and that they cannot do anything against the regime arbitrariness and massive corruption, they first feel deeply frustrated and then desperate and may resort to violence and terrorism. Inasmuch as tyranny and corruption distort the functioning economy, it also whacks its society because it leads the unelected government officials to take actions that are not in the people's best interests. Fahad Al-Khitan, a daily columnist in Al Arab Al Yawm daily newspaper, wrote today (Monday, February 19, 2007) that “the (unelected) Mayor of Amman (Omar Al Maani) appointed, just a few days go, the son of a current minister in a high-level position at Greater Amman Municipality (CNM) with very high monthly salary and generous package of benefits…another minister in the government appointed his son in a senior-level position at another ministry.” Where is the recently appointed Anti-Corruption Commission from these rotten cases of corruption? Will King Abdullah II do anything about these daily practices of massive corruption? The answer is simply negative because the king himself is corrupt!

The despicable collusion displayed by King Abdullah II towards the daily practices of corruption, abuse of power and human rights must not be condoned under any circumstances. We call upon all worldwide defenders of human rights to do everything within their power to focus upon, censure and condemn the exponential and rising corruption and human rights violations by King Abdullah II and his intelligence community. We urge the international community to exert mounting pressure on King Abdullah II to take solid steps to expand Jordanian democracy from its current embarrassing level by demonstrating more respect for the judicial community, human rights issues and freedom of expression, and not just by paying lip service to the ideals before the world,

Like Father, Like Son: Documented Information on the Dirty Close Business Relationship of the 21st Century's Gangs: Saddam Hussein, Uday Saddam Hussein, King Hussein and King Abdullah II

L to R: Uday Saddam Hussein, King Abdullah II, Saddam Hussein and King Hussein

When Prince Ali, the bully half-brother and current body guard of King Abdullah II, was asked by his high school English teacher, at Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut, how he spent his summer vacation in 1993, Prince Ali replied “exchanging secret letters between my father (the late King Hussein) and (the late) President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.” King Abdullah II has been doing the same. He grew up with the criminal Uday Saddam Hussein (please see picture above) and has been in training and close contact with Uday for an extended period of time. This very cozy relationship established and supported by the late King Hussein paid off. Saddam Hussein's ousted regime gave crude oil "coupons" to the Hashemite royal family, through Shaker bin Zaid bin Shaker (son of Jordan’s former appointed Prime Minister and Chief of the Armed Forces Prince Zaid bin Shaker, one of King Abdullah II’s close relatives), worth 6.5 million barrels of free oil. Saddam’s gift aimed to thank King Abdullah II’s cronies and relatives for their endless military, political and logistical support in circumventing the then UN-imposed sanctions on Iraq. Also, Saddam Hussein has distributed closed envelops of hush money to several Jordanian journalists, leftists, Jordanian Baathists, and paid in-full the cost of building a large housing community for Jordanian journalists in Amman. 

 

The illegal business activities between the royal family, appointed Jordanian government and the remnants of the former regime of Saddam Hussein have been growing rapidly and exponentially since Saddam Hussein assumed power in Iraq. Recently, Jordan has become a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of killers, looters and thieves of the former regime of Saddam Hussein. Many Iraqi Baathists have recently started investing the money they stole from the Iraqi people in Amman’s business markets and signed many business deals with several small and large Jordanian investment companies. According to unofficial figures, those individuals have invested more than $2 billion alone in Amman’s private economic sectors. These Baathists selected Amman because of its close proximity to Iraq and also due to the very warm relationship between these gangsters and their counterparts in Jordan: influential political circles and corrupt individuals in the royal court, governmental key figures, the intelligence community, the security apparatus and the press.

Further, read more about the conspiracy role that those royal corrupt individuals and Saddamists played in the Petra Bank Scandal: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110003850

Furthermore, read this article (http://www.nysun.com/article/3173), appeared in The New York Sun newspaper on Thursday, October 14, 2004. It explains the despicable role of King Abdullah II (before and after he became a king) and that of his father, the late King Hussein, and the Hashemite royal family, in doing dirty business with and gaining blood money through the thuggish regime of Saddam Hussein at the expense of poor Iraqi and Jordanian people. This is one of the reasons that the economic embargo and sanctions against Saddam’s brutal regime had failed.

The international community must understand that King Abdullah II has assumed power through inheritance and is now practicing absolute monarchy in Jordan. The king appoints and terminates prime ministers and ministers as he pleases. Senior government officials are appointed based on cronyism and favoritism with clear disrespect to intellectuals and leaders of the civil society in the country. King Abdullah II has been spreading lies worldwide that he is open to constitutional monarchy (http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=583538&page=1), but he has not budged one inch towards that end. We call upon the current U.S. administration and Congress to exert greater pressure on King Abdullah II to introduce a genuine package of political and economic reforms, including relinquishing his power of appointing governments and senators. U.S. foreign aid to the appointed Jordanian government must be contingent upon introducing these critical reforms to the people of Jordan (this is one of the key recommendations appeared in this recent report: Illusive Reform: Jordan's Stubborn Stability By Julia Choucair, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, DC: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp76_choucair_final.pdf)

Otherwise, Jordan will keep on producing and exporting evil terrorists, such as

 

Where does King Abdullah II Stand on Democracy and Terrorism?

       

Upper Left: Raghad Saddam Hussein Attending a Rally in Amman, Jordan, on Monday, 1/1/2007  

Upper Right: The Late Dictators: Saddam Hussein and King Hussein 

JNM, Amman--Saddam Hussein and his family have built strong relationship with the royal family in Jordan. King Abdullah II’s regime has continuously denied that Raghad Saddam Hussein plays any role in instigating and inducing terrorism in the new Iraq, but confidential sources in Amman told JNM that Raghad has been very active behind closed doors in bankrolling and gathering support to destabilize the legitimate and elected government in Iraq.

Instead of supporting genuine constitutional changes in Jordan, King Abdullah is working very hard to delay and deny these very legitimate rights to the Jordanian people. He determines everything: what is right, what is wrong and when a basic right should be given to the people of Jordan. His revolving-door policy is leading Jordanians towards the unknown. Jordanians need to see their country at the epicenter of genuine political reforms in the Middle East region for the legitimate right of bringing more freedom, peace and a brighter future to its citizenry. King Abdullah must deliver and keep his promises!

The civilized world needs to understand that tyranny breeds evil terrorism and exponential violence. The current democratic deficit in Jordan will not be overcome without the help of the United States and those democratic countries that have short and long-term interests in its stability and security. Constitutional amendments are vital to introduce viable political changes to our homeland. The current absolute monarchical regime in Jordan must be replaced by a constitutional monarchical system of governance. The outcome of making these necessary changes could be a beacon of hope in creating lasting peace, economic prosperity, justice, comprehensive security, not only in Jordan, but also in the entire Middle East region and the world at large. 

Parade of Absolute Monarchy on the Streets in Amman

Amman, Jordan (Sunday, January 28, 2007)--Parade of Absolute Monarchy on the Streets in Amman: The Appointed Prime Minister and Speaker of the Bribed Parliament Celebrate with a Few Hundreds of Loyalists their Blind Allegiance to King Abdullah II

At the end of 2006, the absolute monarchy in Jordan was already marking 54 years of undemocratic monopoly of power, during which its main concern has been to centralize politics and pave the way to strengthen the executive power (the king), so that a tiny technocratic elite, working hand-in-hand with a political segment of the draconian security forces, would impose an authoritarian vision on the whole of Jordan society. They have achieved success at a heavy price!

With the repression of the press and the judiciary growing day after day, with the absence of any effective political parties, with a bribed Parliament, and with the added monopoly of the press, radio and television stations at the behest of King Abdullah II, the morphology of the civil society, of which all the above institutions are crucial pillars, has taken a disturbing meaning in the country.

In a significant sense, what we are seeing and observing in Jordan these days is the history of massive corruption and lax management, travesty of justice, press-monarchy conflict, ghastly threats toward opponents of the absolute monarchical regime, tangled and defunct economy, endless abuse of people basic rights, such as freedom of expression, and abject poverty inflicted on the diminishing middle class and urban and rural working people.

The outcome: Countless number of evil terrorists has been planted in Jordan and exported to the world via the daily actions of the corrupt Hashemite regime in Amman!

The solution: Constitutional changes so that Jordanians can govern themselves by electing their own government, Senate and Supreme Court judges.

Yes, Freedom is the Solution to Fight Evil Terrorism in the Middle East and Beyond

 

United Nations Call for Constitutional Changes in Jordan!!!

Mr. Manfred Novak, the United Nations Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur on Torture

New York (Tuesday, January 30, 2007)--The tragic human rights record of King Abdullah II’s regime must not be allowed to pass without the world, the U.S. administration, the U.S. Congress, and worldwide human rights organizations censuring these human rights abuses and fighting with all peaceful means against King Abdullah II’s daily civil rights violations. The hypocrisy of King Abdullah II and his family is endless. He wants Jordanians to perform a “belly loyalty dance” and offer “morning prayers and evening penitence” for him and his family. The Jordanian citizens’ strife for freedom and democracy has grown from a struggle of individuals and small groups into an organized movement. It's is not clear yet if the Hashemite monarch, who arbitrarily carries out immoral acts, wants to save his face and international image. His dictatorship, inhumane rule inside Jordan, and image in the international arena are badly shaken.

The stunning 38-page report issued by Manfred Novak, the United Nations Human Rights Commission's Special Rapporteur on Torture, on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 is about King Abdullah II’s authoritarian and absolute monarchy rule, and it makes grisly reading. The report points out the unaccountable torture squads at the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) and their despicable role in torturing and harassing journalists and political and human rights activists. In his comprehensive report, Mr. Novak calls openly for legal and constitutional changes to protect the people of Jordan from ongoing lawlessness and all types of torture being practiced against innocent political prisoners, who are being held, until present, without trial. These forms of torment include “beatings, nail pulling and mustache pulling by pincers, and wide range of verbal abuse.” Mr. Novak’s report is based on actual visits to prisons, meetings and interviews with more than 40 political prisoners and high-level appointed officials in the country.

Over the past several years, the monarchical authorities in Amman have done nothing less than silence all public dissent and torture innocent political and human rights activists. Many opposition leaders in the country are targeted solely for exercising their basic rights to freedom of expression and association. There is also a tremendous concern for the safety of members and supporters of the opposition, active members of grassroots human rights organizations, or political parties, in Jordan and abroad, which challenge the unjust, undemocratic, and dominant monarchical power structure in our beloved homeland.

Full respect of Jordanians’ civil rights must be kept in mind. Physical abuses, suppression of dissenting voices and official harassment of political activists and journalists must be curbed. What is needed now is enough zeal from politicians, policymakers at the royal court, and voters to stamp out corruption as much as possible. All types of purges in the royal court, public, security and private sectors must be undertaken immediately. The health of Jordan’s future in the 21st century depends heavily on these much-needed reforms. Jordan’s corruption still could take years to root out. Yet true Jordanians are no longer so naive` and have never been spiteful. Constitutional changes that would shift executive power from the king to a prime minister, elected directly by the people, are also very vital and the hallmark of any true democratic system. The Jordan National Movement (JNM) sincerely hopes that King Abdullah will listen to these loud voices of reason and act accordingly before it is too late. The world is watching!

BBC News Issued this News Release in Arabic Regarding Mr. Manfred Novak’s Report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/middle_east_news/newsid_6313000/6313195.stm

How Could King Abdullah II Deny This Tragic Incident?

King Abdullah II With His Close Friend: The Late Criminal Udday Saddam Hussein

Assault on a Jordanian Journalist by King Abdullah II’s Gestapo-Like Security Forces: Another Proof for the Authenticity of the UN’s Recent Report Regarding King Abdullah’s Grisly Record of Human Rights Abuses

Amman, Jordan (Wednesday, January 31, 2007)—Proactive leaders lead by force or by persuasion? By command or by consent? Through most of history, leadership of the Hashemite family was exercised by lifelong of absolute authority. Theirs is not to reason why, theirs is but to do or die. In a country which demands equality for all, equality in servitude as well as equality in freedom, King Abdullah II's leadership is becoming more and more dictatorial.

Today, the Jordanian Press Association (JPA) denounced a grisly assault against Khalid Al-Khawaja, a Jordanian journalist who works for the daily newspaper Al-Rai. Three armed police officers attacked Mr. Al-Khawaja while he was carrying out his duty to cover a chaotic event sponsored by a local community in Ain Al  Basha District, northwest of Amman. He was rushed to the hospital after suffering deep bruises. Mr. Al-Khawaja is now in a stable condition. The JPA expressed its utter shock and outrage at the assault incident, which in fact represents a clear violation of the basic principles of human rights, a violation of freedom of the press and the right of journalists and people to obtain information based on the existing law and the declared policy of openness issued recently by the Public Security Department (PSD).

Chairman of the Press Association Mr. Tarek Al-Moomni stated, “We are very concerned about such attacks, which will indeed have great negative impact on the press freedom and tarnish Jordan’s image in the international arena.” Mr. Al-Moomni asked the Director of the PSD to form “an independent committee to investigate this incident and to put an immediate end to such inhumane acts now and in the future. He added, “this incident is not the first one…journalists in Jordan are being harassed and attacked on a daily basis…this makes it very necessary to provide security and respect to  journalists in the country.”

To all Jordanians: work that is rooted in a land base we call proudly "the beloved Jordan," around issues of self-reliance and local control, has endurance and staying power. We need to share creative ways to resist the destruction of Jordan and our society in our daily lives by King Abdullah II, the royal family and their corrupt cohorts and henchmen. We must look diligently and vigorously after our own homeland.

For King Abdullah II, the billionaire tycoon, it is easy to command leadership by force and corruption, and it is much harder to use argument and achievement to overcome opposition and win consent. You must clean up your mess now or your fate will be similar to that of Saddam Hussein!

Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) Opinion Poll (January 2,

2007): Will King Abdullah II listen and Act Favorably to the

Wishes of Jordanian People?

Supporters of King Abdullah II in Jordan: High School Teenagers!

JNM, Amman-Jordan: The recent facts about the state of Jordan in the political arena are staggering. The following numbers and facts came from a very recent scientific questionnaire conducted by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan, July 12, 2006-December 14, 2006. The results of this questionnaire were made public on Tuesday, January 2, 2007. Population sample size: 1151.

According to this poll, “The Jordanian public…holds a favorable view of political reform (defined here as the transition to more democratic models of governance) with more than 80% of respondents holding the view that political reform will improve their family’s living standards.”  Further, the majority of interviewees (40%) made it very clear that “the best system of governance for Jordan is one in which the governing authority is elected, guarantees political freedoms, and where parliament oversees governing powers and holds them to account.”

As far as the current bribed Parliament is concerned, this questionnaire made it very obvious that “More than 50% of respondents held the view that the (current) Chamber of Deputies (Parliament) did not fulfill its role in holding the government to account, communicating with citizens and representing their concerns, monitoring governmental activities and performing its legislative role. All this suggests that there is a public crisis of confidence regarding the Chamber of Deputies’ performance.” This powerful outcome reemphasizes Jordan National Movement’s repeated calls that the current Parliament is nothing but a rubber stamp, and therefore, irrelevant.

Another staggering outcome is that the “Respondents to this survey gave Jordanian democracy a rating of 5.8 on a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 signifies the beginning of the road to democracy and 10 signifies a fully democratic country).”

Regarding religious issues, the CSS poll listed the following results:

--“Religious minorities have the right to practice their beliefs freely: 83.1%.

--“It is not heretical for religious scholars to present differing interpretations of religion: 80.8%

--“Religious scholars should tolerate social and political opinions that differ from their own: 79.6%.”

The above overwhelming results signale very clearly that the will of the people of Jordan must prevail. The people’s loyalty and allegiance must be directed toward Jordan and its people. In the new world order, full freedom goes hand-in-hand with economic and political reforms, information technology, peace and security. Thus, these important issues must be planned for in the form of immediate and short-term strategies to bring ongoing prosperity to our homeland and its citizenry. This is the focus of Jordan National Movement’s (JNM) mission. We will proceed to accomplish this mission and visionary plans with full responsibility and vigor. These constitutional and political reforms, of course, will not take place without direct support from the international community. Therefore, we kindly urge all concerned individual and organizations worldwide to take the necessary solid steps to effect real political changes in our beloved homeland: Jordan.

 

What Happened To The $25 Million Millennium Challenge Threshold Grant?

King Abdullah II in Military Uniform Ready to Use the Iron Fest Against the People of Jordan!

JNM, Amman--Jordan: On Tuesday, October 17, 2006, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a $25 million Millennium Challenge Threshold (MCT) grant with the unelected government of King Abdullah II. More than three months have passed and no one knows what has been accomplished regarding the three pillars of this grant: “Political Rights,” “Voice and Accountability,” and “Trade Policy”! One of the dimensions we know is the negative and very embarrassing outcome of the CSS Poll conducted within the past few months (July 12, 2006-December 14, 2006) by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan. The results, as indicated below, bode ill for the future of democracy in the country and show clearly that King Abdullah II is deceiving the international community.

What happened to the grant? King Abdullah II needs to answer this question!

At JNM, we firmly believe that it has been siphoned off and spent on King Abdullah II's lavish foreign visits, building and buying new palaces (in Jordan and abroad), bribes to silent opposition and journalists, and Queen Rania’s private jets, extravagant receptions, expensive clothes and jewelry. If this is not true, then King Abdullah II must open his books and show the Jordanian people and the world his annual income and how much money he has stashed in his personal and private bank accounts!

The full text of the $25 million Millennium Challenge Threshold Grant agreement can be found at: http://www.mcc.gov/press/factsheets/2006/factsheet-101706-jordan.php

 

Another Terrorist from Jordan Died in Iraq!

JNM, Ma’an--Jordan: The city of Ma’an in the Southern part of Jordan held another celebration of evil terror: an evil terrorist from this city, Mohammad Adnan Al-Jarrar, killed in Iraq during the week of January 22, 2007. The celebration took place before the eyes of King Abdullah II, the appointed Jordanian government and General Intelligence Directorate (GID). A few hundreds of supporters from Ma’an attended the disgusting celebration. Recorded videos showed the attendees how these terrorists have been killing and carrying deadly attacks against innocent Iraqi children, women and elderly people on the streets of Baghdad and in other parts of Iraq. Speeches were delivered in this absurd gathering, calling for more terrorist attacks in Iraq. Also, sweets and candy were provided to the crowd in celebration of the death of this evil terrorist!

Hundreds of Jordanian terrorists cross the borders into Iraq every month….and King Abdullah II has done nothing about it! Yes, this is the double-face policy of King Abdullah II: peaceful man in the eyes of the world and a terrorism instigator behind closed doors! Why does he do this? Simply put: a democratic Iraq means the absolute monarchy in Jordan will be finished once and forever. 

The Hashemite Monarchy: A Nightmare for Jordanians

King Abdullah II, in military uniform, threatens Jordanians with his special forces if they rise against his absolute and corrupt monarchical regime

JNM, Amman--Jordan: King Abdullah II is a shameless man heading an ailing and corrupt regime. Yesterday, he formed and named members of the new Anti-Corruption Commission. The head and members of this commission are part of the corrupt establishment, report to the unelected Prime Minister and have no authority to go after the spring of massive corruption: King Abdullah II and the royal family. This is another ludicrous attempt by this corrupt potentate to deceive the world, foreign donors and friends of the Jordanian people that he is fighting corruption while he and members of the royal family are looting and fleecing the country on a daily basis. The major problem is that the royal court chieftains built up client clans based on avaricious interests and family ties, putting corrupt protégés in key positions and keeping enemies out—no matter what their work experiences and the academic qualifications.

The dilemma in Jordan is not the appointed Prime Minister, it is the king himself. King Abdullah II is the only decision maker in Jordan. He does not listen to his people (read below the results of a recent scientific poll ). He is trying to convince the world that he is the only person who can make warm peace with his neighbors and Jordanians will just follow his orders. He does not let any person, except his family members, meet and hold talks with top foreign officials. King Abdullah II and his family look down at Jordanians and treat them as slaves!

With certainty approaching faith, just about every Jordanian agrees that the best lies in a planned strategy and renewed vision to end a weak, stumbled and fully corrupt regime. It is very clear that King Abdullah II is not sick and tired of fabricating stories about Jordan to the watching world. Jordan National Movement (JNM) will continue working very hard until the absolute monarchy changes to constitutional monarchy (the current UK model). Awaiting this critical change to happen, the current regime will continue creating and exporting an infinite loop of evil terrorists, looters and begetting looters. The international community must step in immediately to end this disaster!

Celebration for Saddam’s "40th Day" Death Anniversary in the Heart of Amman: Shame on King Abdullah II and his Corrupt Regime!

  

Amman's Shameful Celebration           Iraqi Stands Before Pictures of Dujail's Victims

   

 

Thousands of Iraqi Kurds and their Children Murdered By Saddam Hussein's Chemical Weapons

    

Iraqi Relatives Started Collecting Remains of their Loved Ones After 1991 Massacre in the South 

JNM, Amman-Jordan: On Thursday, February 8, 2007, approximately three thousands people gathered in the building of Jordan’s Professional Associations to remember the death of the 21st century's brutal dictator: Saddam Hussein! Several individuals [call themselves professional] praised the tyrant and called him a(n) “martyr, hero, martyr president, courageous leader, extraordinary person,  master of the greatest pilgrimage, etc.”

These “professional” people have forgotten what this coward had done to the people of Iraq: Sunnis, Shia and Kurds. On Wednesday, March 16, 1988, Saddam used chemical weapons and killed 5,000 innocent civilians; mostly Iraqi Kurds in the city of Halabja, North of Iraq. 75% of the perished people in this ugly massacre were women and children. They have completely cast aside the horrific crimes that this dictator committed against the people of Kuwait in August, 1990! These people who call themselves “professional” have also completely forgotten the horrific deaths in the Shia uprising of 1991.

How about the disgusting massacre of more than “150 residents of the Shia town of Dujail” and hundreds of others in the same area who had been arrested and tortured on Saddam’s orders? What about the crimes of aggression committed by Saddam Hussein against Iran (1980-88) and Kuwait (1990-91)? Does this oppressor really deserve all of this warm applause and praise by these “crazy professionals” ?

All of these crimes against humanity have not convinced the corrupt regime of King Abdullah II and Jordan’s General Intelligence Department (GID) to stop holding this absurd “pro-terrorism celebration”!!! Any observer can make of this gathering as a clear signal from the current Hashemite regime to the people of Jordan that it is okay to support terrorism and perfectly fine to praise and beef up the current destruction and daily killing of innocent people in Iraq!  This is another piece of evidence that King Abdullah II is not a good man to do business with….

Here are a few statements, in Arabic, stated in this bizarre gathering:

قال رئيس مجلس النقباء المهنيين عبدالهادي الفلاحات في كلمته "لا زالت في مخيلتنا جميعا مشاهد الجريمة البشعة التي ارتكبتها أميركا وحلفاؤها الدوليون والمحليون من عصابات الإجرام والحقد الطائفي فجر عيد الأضحى المبارك بحق الشهيد صدام حسين الرئيس الشرعي لجمهورية العراق". وأضاف ان المحاكمة الظالمة وظروف وملابسات إعدام الرئيس الشرعي للعراق "أثبتت ان الولايات المتحدة وبريطانيا أعادتا العراق إلى مرحلة ما قبل الدولة، حيث لا مؤسسات ولا دستور ولا قضاء ولا أمن ولا حكومة، بل زمرة من العملاء وعصابات يحركها الحقد الطائفي والدولار لتنفيذ إرادة الاحتلال".

 امتدح الناطق باسم لجنة التنسيق العليا لاحزاب المعارضة تيسير الحمصي في كلمته "صفات البطولة والشجاعة والفروسية والثبات على المبادئ لدى الشهيد صدام".واكد الحمصي اعتزاز الامة بتصاعد الفعل الجهادي العظيم للمقاومة العراقية الباسلة, التي "أرسى الرئيس الشهيد جذورها وهي تلحق الهزيمة الأكيدة بالمشروع الاميركي المعادي, دفاعاً عن وحدة العراق وعروبته". وشدد ان المعارضة هي المقاومة "الممثل الشرعي الوحيد للشعب العراقي المجاهد". ودعاها الى "توحيد صفوفها في إطار سياسي وعسكري, بكل أطيافها الوطنية والقومية والإسلامية, لتتمكن من سد الفراغ في حال هروب الاحتلال وأذنابه من ارض العراق".واعتبر الحمصي "جريمة اغتيال صدام "تستهدف الامة كلها, ممثلة بمشروعها القومي النهضوي". وحذر باسم حزبه "البعث الاشتراكي الاردني" من "الدور الصفوي الفارسي الذي كان شريكاً في جريمة اغتيال الرئيس كان شريكا في غزو العراق واحتلاله".

واعتبر نقيب المحامين صالح  العرموطي ان ما جرى للرئيس الشهيد "وصمة عار في تاريخ الامة العربية والإسلامية ورسالة الى المسؤولين أنه مصير كل من يقف في وجه أميركا ويقف مع شعبنا وأهلنا في فلسطين، ويقدم لأبناء الشهداء الدعم المادي والمعنوي". واستذكر العرموطي لقاء له مع الرئيس صدام في معتقله، وأشار الى "حبه للأردن، ووصيته له بالسلام على الاردن وشعبه وسمائه". وأكد العرموطي ان "عملية استشهاد صدام وصمة عار للقضاء العراقي وراعي الارهاب بوش مجرم الحرب".

ووصف عضو المكتب التنفيذي للإخوان المسلمين احمد الكفاوين صدام بأنه الذي "اعطى الامة عطاء كبيرا في كل قضايا الامة في وقت عجز الآخرون عن ذلك". وأكد ان "عنفوان صدام لحظة استشهاده وتمسكه بالقرآن والسخرية من الاحتلال وعملائه قدم نبراسا للامة وأجيالها في الشموخ والبطولة".واضاف الكفاوين ان صدام "لم يكن عاديا وهو يتقدم الى الموت مبتسما مستعينا بالله فكانت عباراته وكلماته تستهزئ بالقوى المعادية للامة ومن يساندها، فنطق بالشهادة مرتين، لهذا فإن دمه سيكون لعنة على كل الفاجرين".

في حين استذكر أمين عام حزب العهد خلدون الناصر، في كلمة باسم الأحزاب الوطنية "سيرة ومسيرة شهيد الحج الأكبر الذي جمع الله له من صفات الشجاعة والثبات والعزيمة والإخلاص التي انتهت بالتضحية على أيدي وأعوان الفرس المتعصبين بعد ان سلمه لهم الاحتلال الاميركي البشع والغادر".واضاف الناصر ان الشهيد صدام "كان للاردن الرسمي والشعبي حالة خاصة بامتياز ولا ينكر الا جاحد مواقفه الوطنية والقومية واحترامه للقيادة الاردنية والشعب الاردني وفي أحلك الظروف وهو الذي لم يذكر الاردن بسوء حتى عندما كان وشعبه وجيشه في أتون أشرس معركة للدفاع عن العراق قبل احتلاله".

من جهتها، رأت رئيسة اتحاد المرأة آمنة الزعبي ان "دلالات الاغتيال العلني للرئيس تجاوزت ظاهرها البشع الى معان اكثر بشاعة ووحشية، فهي تلحق بلائحة الجرائم الاميركية الكبرى ابتداء من إبادة السكان الأصليين في القارة الاميركية ومرورا باختلاس الدول المجاورة وضمها عنوة للاتحاد الفيدرالي وإلقاء القنبلتين النوويتين على اليابان وليس انتهاء باغتيال صدام". واضافت ان هذا الاغتيال جاء لتخويف العرب وغير العرب بأن من يقول لأميركا لا سيواجه بنفس المصير، في "محاولة سافلة لفرض مقولة ان من يفرض الشرائع هي القوة، وهو ما انساق وراءه الكثيرون".

كما تحدث في حفل التأبين عن الشخصيات الوطنية وزير الإعلام السابق هاني الخصاونة، ورئيس لجنة التعبئة الوطنية للدفاع عن العراق، وعضو القيادة القومية لحزب البعث الاشتراكي السابق ضافي الجمعاني. حيث أكدوا على ان المقاومة العراقية البطلة "ستواصل مشوارها حتى تحرير العراق من الاحتلال وعملائه". واستذكر المتحدثون الثلاثة صفات الشهيد صدام حسين، وتفانيه وصموده في وجه العدوان الاميركي والصهيوني. وعبروا عن ثقتهم من أن يوم النصر لقريب.                                                   

Teaching Children Wrong Lessons and Lies is an Unacceptable Royal Behavior!

Queen Rania Speaking to Young Students on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007

JNM, Amman-Jordan: It is a little crazy in Amman these days. This time, while things are messy, no one fears a coup or another dictator, and the question is not whether there will ever be a new and a real democratic regime, but on what day, in which month. And this time, most Jordanians rejoice when talking of the possible change in the current leadership.

While Jordanians surely have obligations to future generations, our more immediate obligation is toward those now alive. There is no moral justification for making them the fodder for a higher quality of life of those yet to be born, or even for the maintenance of the present quality of life.

In the above picture, Queen Rania speaks to a few Jordanian young students stating, “Democracy is not merely a slogan….it must be a practical application.”  She continued to say to those innocent youngsters that “you are the future generation who will establish the principles (of democracy).” Well-said…..by a bluffer!

Teaching children wrong lessons and lies is an unacceptable royal behavior and must stop. Those young students deserve to be told the truth: according to a scientific questionnaire conducted by the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan in July of 2003, “73.5% of those people surveyed have heard of “vote buying” during the recent parliamentarian elections. On a scale of 1 to 10, interviewees rated democracy in Jordan at 5.45. Furthermore, 83.2% of the surveyed people believed that they will be put in jail if they criticize the government. 88.8% of people polled stressed that they want to live in freedom, governed by a democratic system that guarantees justice, equality, civil liberties, and economic prosperity among all Jordanians.

Four years later, circumstances have deteriorated even further. Recent scientific poll conducted by the CSS, July 12, 2006--December 14, 2006, and published on Tuesday, January 2, 2007 shows what is really happening on the ground. According to this poll, “The Jordanian public…holds a favorable view of political reform (defined here as the transition to more democratic models of governance) with more than 80% of respondents holding the view that political reform will improve their family’s living standards.”  Further, the majority of interviewees (40%) made it very clear that “the best system of governance for Jordan is one in which the governing authority is elected, guarantees political freedoms, and where parliament oversees governing powers and holds them to account.”

Queen Rania needs to tell those students that she and King Abdullah II have failed to deliver tangible political reforms and economic improvements for the vast majority of impoverished Jordanians, and refused to consult and delegate more widely with the Jordanian intellectuals. Queen Rania must tell the truth: the absolute monarchy in our beloved Jordan is preaching division and class struggle. It is growing seeds of strife, suspicion, and ongoing confrontation. There are no moral and political boundaries from within the current constitution for the king and the royal family. That is why all things permitted, according to his say. That is why we are strongly calling for wide and genuine changes to the current absolute monarchical constitution. This is the truth that must be told to our children and many generations to come!

Massive Corruption and Ill-Use of Power in Jordan While King Abdullah II is Compensated by the U.S., European Union and Japan!

JNM, Amman, Jordan: In a significant sense, the history of the 2000s in Jordan is the history of massive corruption and lax management protected and facilitated by the absolute monarchy system lead by King Abdullah II. The issue simple: can an absolute monarchy survive in a global age of democratization?

The current tyrant monarch excludes the intellectuals and national figures from decision-making. He does not wish to be challenged intellectually. King Abdullah II has managed to buy the support of tiny minorities of rich people (e.g., Abdul Hadi Audi Al-Majali, Bassem Awadallh, Abdul Raouf Al-Rawabdeh, Zaid Al-Rifai, Abdul Karim Al-Kabariti, Fayez Al-Tarwneh and Taher Al-Masri) by giving them and their relatives and close friends key positions in the consecutive unelected governments and economic decision-making circles. Furthermore, several pro-absolute monarchy individuals from the press corps (e.g., Saleh Al-Qalab, Tariq Masarweh and Fahad Al-Fanek) have been co-opted into the existing power circle that is tightly protected by security agencies, spies and military commanders.

The military potentate has not shown any affinity for making true changes in the constitution so the people themselves can elect their own Prime Minister rather than having one appointed by the king himslef (read a recent report re: this case issued by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/cp76_choucair_final.pdf).

Much of the U.S humanitarian aid and funding for training programs, political and economic reforms have gone into black holes of severe corruption. Over the past few years until present, no one who works for King Abdullah II can be trusted with money. Large foreign grants to public institutions and the people of Jordan are almost certain to end up in the private bank accounts of top members of the royal family and their cronies and not in the hands of those intended to benefit.

Here are a few samples of recent major corruption cases in Jordan:

1) When the State of Kuwait presented free donations of oil to the people of Jordan in 2004, the royal family and a former appointed Prime Minister, Faisal Al-Fayez, made shocking “behind the scenes” arrangements to sell a major part of this donation to a foreign oil exporting firm, known by the name Free Market Petroleum (FMP), and deposited the large proceeds into their private accounts outside of Jordan. The information of the fund transferring process was confirmed by member of Kuawit’s Parliament, Mr. Ahmad Al-Sadoon, in April, 2004. This case has not been investigated, but cast aside and totally covered.

2) Another major scandal discovered just a few months ago is a cell phone franchise state license that was sold, through secretive arrangements between the royal court and high ranking appointed officials in the unelected government, to an unknown local IT company for $7 million. Within one year, the same company sold the license to another IT company in the Kingdom of Bahrain for $560 million!!! This significant illegal profit was cashed in the banking accounts of members of the royal family and other involved appointed officials. The current Prime Minister, Marrouf Al-Bakhit, admitted that he read about this case in the newspapers. When he questioned the legality of this embarrassing deal, Member of Parliament, Mamdouh Al-Abbadi, received 586 pages of misleading information and useless documents. Of course, these absurd practices go unnoticed due the fact that the royal family in Jordan is above the law, unaccountable and totally support this exponential and upsurge in massive corruption cases!

3) The State Military Court prosecutor on Thursday, September 7, 2006, charged 31 suspects and 12 international companies with embezzling $170 million from Philadelphia Bank in the late 1990s. Further, the file of Ibrahim Al-Moussa’s Financial Advisory Group was also referred to the State General Prosecutor (SGP) in September, 2006, for financial fraud that led to embezzling $14.1 million from 2500 Jordanian citizens. No one knows until this minute the status of this particular file, most likely due to cover-up arrangements going on at the highest levels in the royal court and appointed government.  

In our chaotic and dark time, who will restore our great desire for creating and building? Darkness can be opposed only by light and clarity. We need an elected authority with a clearly expressed will to good, with a clearly creative program of political and economic reforms, with clear and binding laws that defend the work of those who create. But as long as current bickering continues in the monarchical structures of power, while several members of the current “vote-buying” Parliament, appointed Senate and many members of the press community continue receiving perks and sealed envelopes of large sums of hush money from the royal family and the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) to keep their mouths shut, we cannot expect any tangible improvement nor we will be able to survive in this era of information age, genuine democracy and competitive global economy! The ball is in the king’s court….he is the king and must deliver before it is too late!