King Hussein of Jordan shocked his country and the world less than two weeks before he died on February 7 by announcing that his brother, Prince Hassan, 51, was no longer his successor, and replacing him with his 37-year-old son, Prince Abdullah.

This change in plans has raised concerns by many in the world who feel that the transition will not be a smooth one; the young king has not achieved the political clout that his father had attained by the end of is life, especially in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Abdullah will be facing many challenges as the ruler of Jordan. Bordered on three sides by Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, all potential foes, and on the fourth by Israel, whose peace agreement with Jordan is just four years old, Jordan is in a precarious position in the Middle East. Furthermore, Iran is considered a "troublemaker" by Abdullah, a statement that led Iran to label him an "amateur." Domestically, Jordan has several problems that must be addressed, including its slow economy, its lack of natural resources, high unemployment, and its water-supply problems.

The death of King Hussein has left the country fairly "immobile;" Jordanians hesitate to move on and accept their new king before a lengthy time of mourning has passed, and the new government also feels it necessary to refrain from any major activity for a period of a few weeks.

At just 37 years old, Abdullah is the youngest of the Arab leaders, and part of a new generation of leaders who will soon be coming to power in the Arab nations. He is the son of King Hussein's British second wife, Princess Muna, and he was educated at Britain's Sandhurst Military Academy before moving on to Oxford University to receive a diploma in international affairs. Abdullah then went to Georgetown University in Washington. He returned to Jordan in 1984 to make for himself a career in the Jordanian army. He spent his first eight years there in desert bases, and was appointed Brigadier General in 1994 and Major General in 1998. At the time of his appointment as heir to the throne, Abduallah was commander of the elite Special Forces.

His military career has earned him the respect of the military and the public-sector elite, and his marriage to Rania Yassin, a Palestinian woman, is considered an asset among the Palestinian majority that carries a great deal of clout in Jordan. Furthermore, through his ties to several of the young sheiks in the Gulf region, Abdullah has managed to bring Jordan into a good relationship with several of the oil powers in the vicinity of Jordan, and has been "instrumental" in maintaining Jordan's standing with the Persian Gulf States, according to Jordan's ambassador to the United States.

Like his father and his brothers, Abdullah is a fan of outdoor sports and activities. Those who know him describe him as casual and down-to-earth, driving his own cars and not relying on servants to take care of his children. It is also widely known in Jordan that Abdullah is a huge fan of "Star Trek," and describes himself as a "Trekkie."

In spite of the concerns over the change in power in Jordan, King Hussein did not begin his own reign in a notably better position and it took him 40 years to arrive at a point where he could consider making peace in the region. Abdullah's command of the officer class as well as the Jordanian army is vital to his power and stability, and he has secured these assets. The international community also seems to be responding well to Abdullah's ascent. Bill Clinton announced that he would accelerate the delivery of a $300 million aid package for Jordan, and Binjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence that Israel's peace with Jordan would endure. Although Jordan seemed to be in a state of shock immediately after Hussein's death, Abdullah has begun to move on from the necessary mourning period and consolidate his control of the government. At the beginning of March, he purged many of the ministers whose loyalties were with his uncle and replaced them with mostly liberal politicians. He has instructed his ministers to consolidate Jordan's ties with the Palestinians and Israel under the 1994 peace treaty his father signed. He has already said he will campaign for a regional settlement to include peace accords between Israel and its Arab neighbors and urged closer ties with gulf Arabs who ostracized Jordan for its refusal to denounce Iraq in the 1990-91 gulf crisis over Kuwait.

As part of a new generation of the Jordanian elite, Abdullah is more comfortable with English than Arabic, and more at ease in a casual nightclub than in a state meeting. However, he is also the most pro-Western of the Arab leaders and seems committed to carrying out the reforms begun by his father. Despite the worries over the stability of his reign and the acceptance he would receive from the Jordanian people, Abdullah has clearly begun securing his power in Jordan and ensuring the loyalties of those around him.

Davis, Douglas. "An Enlightened New Monarch." The Jerusalem Post. NEWS; Pg. 4. February 8, 1999.

Demick, Barbara, and Nomi Morris. "Inexperienced New King Has Jordanians Jittery; Many Doubt he can Attain His Father's Clout on the Worldwide State. He is, However, Popular as a Military Leader." Philadelphia Inquirer. Pg. A10. February 8, 1999.

Donnelly, John. "In the New Middle East, the Sons, And Worries, Rise; A Troubled Area Knows Well That Succession Does Not Always Translate to Success." Philadelphia Inquirer. Pg. E01. March 14, 1999.

Halaby, Jamal. "Jordan's New King Starts Putting Own Stamp on Government." Philadelphia Inquirer. Pg. A28. March 5, 1999.

Hockstader, Lee, and Howard Schneider. "New King Will Find His Father's Shoes Hard to Fill." Washington Post. A Section, Pg. A01. February 7, 1999.

Morris, Nomi. "Crown Prince Epitomizes a New Wave; The Jordanian's Style is Less Formal Than That of His Father, King Hussein." Philadelphia Inquirer. Pg. A02. February 1, 1999.

Morris, Nomi. "Hussein's Son Assumes Role Over Jordan; Crown Prince Abdullah is a Political Novice. With the King on Life Support, Crowds Wait Outside the Hospital For News." Philadelphia Inquirer. Pg. A01. February 7, 1999.

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