1. Summary: For the past three weeks, Jordan’s King Abdullah has embarked on a massive public relations campaign aimed at Western governments. Rather than reaching out to his disgruntled and economically strained public, Abdullah seems mostly concerned with his image abroad, with the focus being the “West.” In an effort to prop up his regime, King Abdullah and his wife, Queen Rania, have been meeting with every western leader who will listen to them. At the same time, Abdullah is desperate for information about what would be the next “big moves” in the Middle East region, suspecting “A plot between Arabs, Americans and Israelis to depose him and replace him with a Palestinian.” Abdullah’s paranoia is not new but has intensified recently with public opposition to him becoming more vocal as Jordan’s economy becomes more and more strained. The King’s confusion and lack of interest in his subjects, clearly exhibits the state of dysfunctionality Jordan is in. Jordan itself has become so fragile that a regime change is no longer an impossible event.
2. In November 2022 alone, Jordan’s King and Queen visited the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, and Italy. For Royals who rule a country of 10 million, they spend the majority of their time away from their home country. While gone, they approach other governments and leaders, with hat in hand, begging for aid money, and do so claiming that Jordan is broke, or seeking “footage with the world leaders,” which the Hashemite royals often use to show off to the Jordanian public as evidence to of the regime’s prominence on a global scale. These visits are nothing new for the King, but these recent ones were different.
3. An Italian official who was a member of a delegation that met with Abdullah during a recent visit, reported to JaFaJ that, “The King seemed confused and incoherent despite his attempts to keep a straight face. He was keen on saying that he was there, it was like hello, I am here and still alive”. The source added that, “This is not the Abdullah I have come to know over the past decade [at an Italian government position connected to foreign affairs]”.
4. A Western intelligence source in Amman recently confided to a European diplomat reporting to the European Commission on Foreign Affairs, that “officials from the King’s Royal Hashemite Court have been very candid about the King’s purpose for visiting Italy.” The source added, “He wanted to be seen with Italian officials to raise his stature and convince the world that he is relevant.” The source continued by saying, “His second purpose was to meet with his close Vatican friends, as well as some less-known influential Italian political figures and members from the Order of the Knights of Malta. During the meetings, the King was asking questions about his future and the next big moves in the Middle East.” [COMMENT: Jordan’s Kingdom is one of the very few countries in the world to recognize the Order of the Nights of Malta as an official state, and is one of the very few countries in the Middle East that allows them a fully recognized embassy. The order is more or less a “brotherhood” that operates under the Vatican umbrella and includes influential figures Abdullah is connected with. END COMMENT].
Paranoid, Abdullah is Desperate for Information
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5. A Western official confirmed to JaFaJ sources that the King and his wife have been repeating the same questions to world leaders during their meetings. The source stated that the “questions raised by the king were mainly about Jordan’s future and the likelihood of regional military action against Iran”. He added that both Abdullah and Rania have warned anyone who will listen against a strike on Iran, while demanding a tougher Western position against Israel. The source added that “the King has become obsessed with the illusion that the Israelis are colluding with the United States, the UAE and Saudi Arabia against him”.
6. JaFaJ sources have confirmed that Abdullah has been going through an extreme phase of unjustified paranoia. Sources close to the King have said that “He feels something is afoot” and he is convinced that “Arabs, Americans, Israelis and World Jewry are all plotting against his regime in an effort to topple him and place a Palestinian in his position.” Further, the King claims to “Have evidence to support his claim.” And when asked to share it, the King responds by saying that, “Only he can see it because it is classified.” Furthermore, JaFaJ intelligence sources with proximity to the King’s inner circle have confirmed that, “He is not one bit concerned about the Jordanian people.” He added that, “The King believes that no one in Jordan is capable of doing anything against him, let alone topple him. His concern is what he calls “the Outside,” – a word he often uses to refer to Westerners.”
7. Described by most who have worked closely with him as “not the brightest bulb in the box” or “not the most sophisticated world leader,” Abdullah’s paranoia has been inflamed by Firas Bin Raed, his senior intelligence advisor and second cousin. Bin Raed heads the King’s “Special Office.” The Special Office is the King’s private intelligence desk. According to JaFaJ sources, “Bin Raed is convinced that something bad is being plotted against the King and the rest of the ruling Hashemites, and has devised a plan to revive Abdullah’s image”. The source continued by saying that “Bin Raed himself has been getting the cold shoulder treatment from major Western intelligence agents.” Hence, Bin Raed believes that they are keeping operational information from him. As a result, he translates Western intelligence caution in dealing with him personally, into the West not being sure of the regime’s survival.”
8. An American intelligence source has dismissed any alleged fears from the Jordanian Royals that there is a “lack of cooperation” from the US side. The intelligence source added, “Jordan is an important ally and any claims we are [Government of the United States] scaling back our cooperation or support are unfounded”. Nonetheless, a Western intelligence officer operating in Iraq and who previously served in Amman, reported to JaFaJ that, “If anyone is keeping intel from the Jordanians, it’s because of their shortcomings.” The source added “They have done some good work for us, but they have also made numerous mistakes, mistakes that we cannot overlook.” The source continued by saying that “Their capabilities remain limited and therefore we are inclined to give them as much cooperation as we need and not an inch more.” The source continued by saying that “We cannot trust the Jordanians at the same level as we did four or five years ago, and they should blame themselves for this, not us”.
The King’s Biggest Concern
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9. What has fuelled the King’s paranoia is the neutral, non-involving position most Western countries have exhibited towards his Crown Prince Hussein. Abdullah and Rania have been propping up their son to succeed his father earlier than expected [See JaFaJ report: https://www.jafaj.net/a-new-american-ambassador-to-jordan-reactions-from-the-King-and-opposition/]. The Queen has been avidly trying to secure pre-guaranteed support from Western leaders for her son’s succession to the throne. For example, she has tried several times to get Arab and Western leaders to meet her son instead of the King. Rania has also requested Western officials to make statements openly confirming their support for Hussein’s succession. The Royals believe this is needed to ensure a proper and peaceful transition within the family. Nonetheless, she has received responses ranging from “mild to negative”. A source close to the Queen complained to British officials that the “Biden administration’s position on Hussein’s potential succession to the throne was this: It’s a Jordanian affair, we cannot make any statements before events as they may be misunderstood.” This dashed the Queen’s hopes and pride that her son will replace her husband when the time comes.
10. This lack of a passionate Western endorsement concerns the Hashemite Royal Family, especially the King, who remains uncertain about Jordan’s future, especially when many of the nation’s subjects are angry with the royals’ lavish lifestyle while people face horrible economic conditions.
Conclusion
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11. The Hashemite Kingdom remains wobbly, and all signs point towards growing instability within the country, with clear signs of zero genuine reforms or change of policy on the King’s behalf. At the same time, Jordan’s King has huge support within European governments, despite declining support from his Arab brethren, particularly in the Gulf. Nonetheless, the support and influence of European royals and decision makers cannot be overlooked. As such, it is safe to say that a negative event in Jordan, such as a royal scandal, a drop in the value of currency or growing food shortages may prompt a revolution. For now, the country is in a delicate and fragile position, and is broken politically, socially and economically, and therefore open to unexpected changes. As such, a regime change in Jordan is not impossible, and the odds of one happening are growing daily. As a result, King Abdullah’s paranoia is unlikely to disappear any time soon, exhibiting just how dysfunctional Jordan’s Royalty and government have become, which clearly helps explain why the country has rapidly deteriorated in the last few years.