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Jordan THE POLITICAL SETTING
In 1989 the Jordanian political system continued to revolve
around Hussein, who ruled firmly and tolerated no opposition. He
had acceded to the throne in 1953, and the longevity of his tenure
has been almost unparalleled in the contemporary Middle East. His
reign, however, has been marked by numerous political crises:
abortive coups, assassination attempts, and the disastrous
consequences of the June 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Undoubtedly the
most serious threat to his rule was the civil war with the PLO
guerrillas in 1970 and 1971
(see Jordan - The Guerrilla Crisis
, ch. 1;
Jordan - The Palestinian Factor
, ch. 5). Hussein's ability to remain in power
for nearly four decades can be attributed to his own political
acumen and a fortuitous combination of domestic and external
situations. Nevertheless, the continued absence of institutions
through which citizens could participate in the political process
raised questions about the ultimate stability of his regime.
Data as of December 1989
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