Obama calls for end of Syrian regime

President Barack Obama on Tuesday condemned as “unacceptable” Syria’s continuing crackdown on protesters and repeated his call for President Bashar al-Assad’s government to leave power. (more…)

Jordan braces for Day of Anger

Jordan deployed more than 3,000 security personnel across central Amman on Friday, braced for a planned “day of anger” by the powerful Islamist opposition movement and other parties. (more…)

King Abdullah under pressure from tribes in Jordan

Faris Fayez grew up hearing about the day in 1970 when his father and other Jordanian tribal leaders summoned the late King Hussein to complain about entrenched Palestinian fighters who were virtually occupying the country.

“King Hussein was two hours late. When he finally arrived, my father stood up — and he used to call the king by his first name — ‘Hussein,’ he said, ‘We feel now that for you we are the cover that the shepherd uses. When you get cold, you cover up with us. When you don’t need us, you kick the cover with your feet.’” (more…)

Lebanon’s PM returned from Jordan

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri returned to Beirut from Jordan following his one-day meetings with Jordanian King Abdullah II and PM Samir Rifai.
King Abdullah II held a lunch banquet in honor of Hariri prior to their talks which focused on developing relations between the two countries especially in the areas of tourism and transit.
Former MP Bassem al-Sabaa and Advisers Nader Hariri, Hani Hammoud, and Mohammed Shatah accompanied Hariri during this trip