The Washington Visit

There is no word that that could fall under the title “Us and America,” by virtue of my profession. The affection of His Majesty has more than once accompanied him on his trips to Washington. Their defining trip was to the Soviet Union during the relations crisis with President Carter known as the Hawk missile crisis. At the time al-Rai carried the news about Marshall Cottakhov’s visit to Amman. I was visiting a friend who was soon to receive his term when Cottakhov passed through the door of the office in a grand military uniform which was a vibrant red. Our guest said at the time, “Who is this stately man?!” Marshall Cottakhov said that he was the the Soviet air defense commander. I said, “What prevented the news of your presence from spreading in Amman?!” He said, “Nothing has.” I went to the office of Mahmoud Kayed and gave him the news without the details. His Majesty graciously commanded that Kayed go with him on a visit to Austria. So then he went to the Soviet Union, and so it was.

Let us return to the title “The Washington Visit” on the occasion of his majesty’s visit to Washington: The king makes trips to the American capital in a cyclical and systematic nature. He prepares for the visit to Amman, then he goes to detailed meetings in Washington with the administration and Congress; it culminates with a visit in the White House to meet the president. It is very important to recognize that Jordanian/American relations are in order. This has been especially true over the last 10 years as they haven’t seen a sharp rise or fall. With the recognition of pitfalls and hurdles it is upheld by elders and deputies in the Congress. Those exceptions are not far from Israeli accounts and reflections on its side effects; they have rightly paid tribute to Jordan in kind. But there is clearly an issue in the case of the apartheid wall and its incitement by some members of Congress under the banner of “giving Palestinians more rights.” We heard all the talk about the “missing rights.” Probably one of the most amusing things that I have heard personally in this regard is the store of the Egyptian family that came to Jordan — three of them became ministers!

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Jordan and America started their alliance. We do not claim that we are equals in this regard. This difference in accuracy is made through smart policy. Intelligence policy has nothing to do with this relationship; it is a relationship of clarity, robustness and courage. But we say to the Americans: We cannot or do not appreciate interference and we define ourselves as we like. Here is the thorny issue: the settlements which are directed at taking the Palestinian state.

His Majesty would rather not visit Washington, for what is on his mind is having to speak with that poorly managed Congress. That Congress is the Congress of the establishment. We know how the lobbies are respected and how the presidency is the presidency of the institutions, and we will know all the differences when we see the next president. The Pentagon is also beholden to these institutions.

His Majesty the King, who is now in Washington, is making permanent the relations between Jordan and the Americans. He will have achieved an extraordinary success.