Going after Jordan's Al Capone?

It seems to me that battling crime with no transparency is not about battling crime.

Cases of corruption usually take a long time to investigate, and are hard to prove be that in Jordan or anywhere else. Mr. Rifai is the first prime minister to order the investigation of corrupt personalities and indeed this is good news. Of course once the investigation period is over regarding the accused former officials and personalities, news will come out regarding the details of the accusations. As for the Prime Minister himself, I had the honor of serving with him many years ago, and personally; for what's it worth, would vouche for his upright character, and being himself the son of a wealthy family, like in many other places of the world, wealth attracts envy.
khairi janbek.paris/france

The story could not be isolated from the regime’s recent struggle to maintain its legitimacy inside the kingdom. The latest appointment of a member of Beni-Sakhr clan to head the military underscores the rising rift between the monarchy and the rest of tribes. And despite their differences, but Transjordanian nationalists, Palestinian-Jordanians, as well as the Islamists agree that the reform process is not working with the current elite in power.

I suppose, neither Samer nor myself, have changed our differing views since we last exchanged opinions in a public forum in Jordan. For a start, there is no questioning of HM King Abdullah IInd's sovereign rule in Jordan. As a fact and not as opinion, Jordanians from all oriogins and religions, have never questioned His Majesty's rule neither internally nor externally. Therefore, I am more than surprised that, Samer brought in the changes in the Jordanian military command as a paradigm for anything, when his good self knows very well; as much as I do if not more perhaps, that such changes in the military command, like any other country in the world, are subject to rules, regulations as well as laws of the military organisation. As for the current government, and like many other Jordanian governments before; and I am not saying all, have proved to be more advanced in fighting corruption, and advancing reforms under HM the King's orders, more than the representatives of the Jordanian people in all the previous parliaments, unfortunately, which both Dr. Lynch and Samer know very well.
khairi janbek.paris/france

If anything, all these actions raise concerns about the integrity of the government and the many steps backward in recent times. All you need to do is take a look at some recent reports by international observers. For example, Jordan has "alarmingly" regressed from a “partly free” to “non-free” state according to Freedom House and has also recently slipped behind Egypt in Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) ranking for journalistic freedom.

Take this case for example. First, they treat it as a criminal case and ask the Prosecutor General to take it to a Civil Court. The Court releases the defendants on bail but Sameer Rifai does not like that decision and all of a sudden it becomes a case "within the domain of economic security"! A blatant manipulation of the laws to suit the government. Then, a ban on the media to cover anything related to the case to avoid embarrassment. As Reporters Sans Frontiers said, “this ban shows a lack of political will on the part of the government” and “the decision is unworthy of a country that claims to be democratic”.

Every form of authority has to justify its existence. It is the West who has put the current leaders of Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States in power. These are not democratically elected people neither is Sameer Rifai nor any of the ministers in his appointed cabinet. Jordan is supposed to be a constitutional monarchy yet the Parliament was dissolved barely two years in its term and has in the past been dissolved at random to suit government agenda. Let us hope that the Western countries who support these autocratic regimes are embarrassed by their actions and realise that a stable un-democratic country like Jordan is not necessarily in their best interests. The government is alienating its own people, and for every decent Jordanian who is unlawfully detained in prison for allegations of wrongdoing and denied a fair and transparent hearing, there will be thousands of young Jordanians who will begin to question the legitimacy of the regime and demand a true democratic Jordan.

many countries in the world since ancient times have been created by other countries; not mention Britain being created France. Unfortunately, Jordan does not have the luxury of what western style democracies have achieved; thopugh in due course this the objective of the state of Jordan, because unfortunately again, the geography and history of the region it belongs to. Therefore, the ebbs and flows in reforms and democratisation are usually subject to serious regional events and developements, which tend to affect the being of the country even to the minutest detail of everyday life.

Western democratic countries; including the USA, have developed laws and regulations to govern their own societies after the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks, in order to be able to cope with the era we all live in, let a lone a small country like Jordan which not only is threatened by terrorism, but also, by the serious stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

As Dr. Lynch wrote, the predomiant theme of conversation in Jordan is actually, the issue of corruption, and now Jordan has a Prime Minister whom put in his sight combating corruptiuon as his main priority, through all the legal means available in the laws of Jordan. Does that mean the individuals accused of corruption are innocent because they are out on bail?.

As for the lack of information in the Jordanian media regarding this case, I am sure hd the opposite been allowed, Jordanians as well as non-Jordanians would have screamed with shame, that the families of the accused should be protected and that the Jordanian government should not allow speculation which can jeoperdise the defense or the prosecution of the case. In time I am sure there will be information available. This not out of line when it comes to criminal cases even in democracies of western style.

Indeed, it is not a comfortable development for Jordan slipping in grades when it comes to freedom. Moreover, it is the Jordanian state and people whom would be most disappointed in theis negative development; especially that HM King Abdullah IInd, had often declared that, the ceiling for freedom in Jordan is the sky. I am sure this an aspiration will be followed and pursued seriously, but then again freedom is also a responsibility, which all alike in Jordan; officials and citizens will learn about; particualrly that, when there is no information there is always speculation, and when there are no justifications there are always rumors, and that freedom of thought does not lead to treason, rather, allowing everyone to ,ove the country according to his/her understanding of the love of their country.

As for the western countries, I am sure everyone knows that, they not benevolent associations, and treat Jordan as well as other countries, in accordance with their interests primarily.
khairi janbek.paris/france

There are some typos etc... bad keyboard. I promis when I grow up and have a job and become wealthy, I shall buy a new one. Apologies to all.
khairi janbek.paris/france

All those arrested are linked to the monarchy. The businesman involved was contracted by the royal palace, supplying it with sports cars that ironically were used in diplomatic convoys!! The refinery case took place more than 10 months ago, yet apparently, the action from the government came to place only after a belated foreign intelligence feeding from certain countries that still find “Hashemites in power” as part of the Arab/Israeli peace process solution. In any case, I think it is about time the American/European taxpayers to realize where their money is going in Jordan.

Don't Jordanians use the modern infrastructures built in the country?. Don't Jordanians; even in the remotest corners of the country enjoy the services of water and electricity?. Hasn't health service reached even the remotest corners in the country?. Has the building of schools ever stopped in the country?. Doesn't Jordan boast the lowest rates of illeteracy in the region and probably far beyond?. Aren't there for 6 million Jordanians, 23 universities?. I could go on and on of course about where the money is gone or is going. Suddenly for inexplicable reasons, fighting corruption has become a conspiracy in Jordan?. I don't know what to say really!!, when the government fights corruption it is a surprise and we start talking about why it is fighting graft. When it doesn't it is accused of complaisancy. Dammned if you do and dammned if you don't. As i wrote above, foreign countries deal with Jordan according to their own interests, but the legitimacy of the regime in Jordan as well as in many other corners of the world is not really questionable.
khairi janbek.paris/france

Since two decades, the US economic assistance to Jordan totaled around $6 billion, plus at least $2 billion in military assistance. Such huge sums failed to economically transform a small country in size of Maryland. The assistance was utilized mainly to maintain the regime's stability. Anti-americanism is in the highest rates compared to other countries, despite the fact that without such assistance, the regime would have collapsed within weeks. Clearly, it is not in the interest of the Hashemites to allow moderates or technocrats to function. They prefer to show the world that the Islamists are the only alternative, which is not the case. Furthermore, corruption is not limited to economic/political spheres. The security establishment is in deep crisis and its elites continue to resist reform. The khost attack showed how incapable the establishment was in determining who fits as a case officer for al-Qaeda operative. Al-Balawi and Sharif Zaid have nothing in common – socio-economically or culturally. Apparently, the only reason Zaid was chosen for the operation is just because he is a relative to the king, and perhaps, seeking a historic achievement for the ruling family.

The legitimacy of any regime comes into question when it cannot justify its authority. Only dictators who assume sole and absolute powers and oppress and abuse their people feel justified not answering to anyone. The rest, including leaders of the most powerful nations like USA, UK and France, all strive to justify their legitimacy at the ballot box. Otherwise, they will be voted out for not meeting their people’s expectations. Do Jordanians have a similar mechanism to vote their leaders out of office? Why not? Is there a chance, perhaps a small probability, that if fair and transparent elections are held, that Jordanians would elect better leaders who are more capable of running the country, managing its resources more efficiently, and are at least accountable for their actions? Or are Jordanians destined to one wave after another of hereditary un-elected leaders and prime ministers?

I think we are all in agreement about fighting corruption. The main issue, as was raised by Marc, is that these must be transparent and that they are not selective. If, as you say, the government’s action to ban media coverage is well-thought and noble, and is aimed purely at protecting the defendants and their families, then why wasn’t this done from the beginning? The government was actually very quick to announce the names of the defendants and scandalise them before they are tried, and left it to the street to pass its judgment. Why is it that only the Chairman of the Board of the Refinery has been detained? What about the responsibility of the rest of the Board if there is any wrong doing? Surely any decision affecting the refinery would have been approved by the Board? These are the sort of questions, amongst others, that independent journalists should be free to ask.

This is all an absolute embarrassment. At best, it shows an incompetent and negligent leadership scrambling for cover and a way out. At worst, it suggests their involvement in a sinister and deliberate attempt to manipulate the judiciary, force a pro-government outcome, and tarnish the reputation of selected people. Either way, it is a fiasco and shows that these leaders are not fit to govern.

It is interesting how the same official line of argument is repeated whenever this issue is raised. 90 years is not a trivial time in the life of a nation. There are many examples from around the world where small nations have transitioned from the dark ages into modern democracies in less than half that time frame. It was possible because of political will and a competent leadership that had a vision and a forward looking strategy to achieve that vision. It was through respect for human rights and freedom of speech, empowerment of all classes of society, and encouraging the development of civil institutions. The government’s recent handling of the teachers’ request for a union serves as a good example. What is so wrong with teachers having a union that represents their interests? Does such a request warrant the inhumane and degrading response that the teachers received from the Minister of Education? Is this how one promotes civil institutions and pushes forward with “irreversible” democracy? It is one embarrassing performance after another from a government crippled by arrogance and lack of vision. This is how some of the Arab media is poking fun at its performance:

http://www.alraimedia.com/alrai/Article.aspx?id=191577&searchText=ابو

The leaders of Jordan can say all they want about their intentions. In the end, history (and their own people) will judge them by the actions they take. If Jordan is a constitutional democracy, then its leaders should respect that and keep a Parliament in place at all times. They cannot selectively adopt what they like about the system and throw out other aspects that may not be to their liking.