AMMAN // The ISIL threat is presenting Jordan with a huge security challenge.
For months, the country maintained a low-profile regarding its participation in the anti-ISIL coalition. Yet, Amman publicly stepped up its role after ISIL’s brutal killing of a Jordanian fighter pilot, with officials vowing to crush the group.
The monarchy must now formulate a longer-term strategy against ISIL, while at the same time juggling domestic challenges.
Past threats to Jordan’s security include a failed coup in 1957, a Palestinian insurrection in the 1970s, and hotel bombings in Amman that killed 57 people in 2005.
However, ISIL is the worst security challenge the country has ever faced, said Hassan Abu Hanieh, an Amman-based expert on Islamic groups.
“Jordan’s involvement in the coalition, bombing ISIL targets, is risky for a vulnerable country with hardly any resources because it exposes it to retaliatory attacks,” said Mr Abu Hanieh.
The monarchy is walking a tightrope as it tries to balance the military campaign with poverty, unemployment, soaring public debts, the influx of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and cracking down on extremist sympathisers at home.
Adopting political and economic reforms is the only way to prevent future dissent over the war against ISIL, said analysts.
Oudeh Hamaydeh, a former Jordanian intelligence officer, said it was important to address the root causes of extremism “such as corruption and the absence of social and economic justice and the crackdown on freedoms”.
Not addressing the causes of extremism could allow ISIL to attract more followers within the kingdom. A poll conducted last year by the Strategic Centre for Studies at the University of Jordan showed that 10 per cent of Jordanians see ISIL as a legitimate resistance organisation.
There are 2,000 Jordanian militants fighting alongside extremists in Syria and Iraq, according to Mr Abu Hanieh, making Jordan one of the largest exporters of foreign fighters.
“Daesh can ignite sleeper cells to create chaos in Jordan,” he said.
To counter the threat of ISIL appealing to Jordanians, Mr Abu Hanieh said the country’s allies should offer broader economic support and not just military aid.
“This support should be tangible to citizens. The allies should not sit still and wait for Jordan to collapse. They should inject money in the economy to help Jordan before it is too late.”
At the same time, the immediate military campaign will continue, even if there is a question about Jordan’s next steps.
“We have already punished Daesh for the horrendous crime it committed and we relayed the message it would not intimate us,” said Mahmoud Irdaisat, a retired major general and a former director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at the King Abdullah II Academy for Defense Studies.
“But what does the coalition want? We need a clear strategy …. Jordan is part of the coalition but we should not carry the burden ourselves.”
One of five Arab states involved in air strikes against ISIL, Jordan vowed that its revenge for ISIL burning alive fighter pilot Maaz Al Kassasbeh would be “earth shattering” after the group released a video of his death earlier this month.
Jordanian fighter jets continue to bomb ISIL targets in coordination with other coalition forces. On Monday, Emirati F-16 jets based in Jordan attacked oil refineries controlled by ISIL. Bahraini fighter jets arrived in the country on the same day.
Jordan is also contributing to efforts aimed at countering ISIL in Iraq, with military officers from the two countries meeting to discuss coordination.
Lieutenant General Mashal Mohammad Al Zaben, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces, said on February 11 that Jordan’s armed forces are providing all its capabilities to help the Iraqis in training and arming, according to the state-run Petra News Agency.
The US, which is leading the coalition, is also planning to resupply Jordan with munitions in the coming weeks, which King Abdullah asked for during his recent visit to Washington.
With air strikes alone unlikely to defeat ISIL, observers are debating whether Jordan will commit ground troops to the fight.
“There will be no ground war,” a Jordanian government official said.
Mamoun Abu Nuwar, a retired major general who is now an independent military analyst, said he didn’t expect ground troops to be committed now.
But, he said, Jordan might launch “very limited special operations with other forces from the coalition possibly in Anbar and Al Raqqa,” he said.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
more from Janine di Giovanni
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lupita%20Nyong'o%2C%20Joseph%20Quinn%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Sarnoski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Match info
What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
