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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, OCTOBER 28, 1983
PAGE 9
Jordan's Entanglement
One of the more impressive and progressive (meaning in this case more
Western-styled) Arab countries in the Middle East is Jordan. Mr. Armstrong
and his traveling staff spent approximately five days in the bustling
capital city, Amman. A report in an upcoming edition of the WORLDWIDE NEWS
will detail the very interesting developments in Jordan involving God's
Work.
Behind Jordan's apparent prosperity (next to no unemployment, with much
menial labor done by imported Egyptian contract workers) lurks a growing
danger. Like its Israeli neighbor across the Jordan River, the government
of King Hussein also focuses on Syria as its main external threat. This was
emphasized to me by Jordan's energetic Minister of Information, Mr. Abu
Odeh, at a dinner he hosted in his home for Mr. Armstrong's party.
Two
other cabinet ministers, the director of Jordan Television, as well as a
prince and princess were also �resent.
Jordan is actively supporting Iraq (also an enemy of Syria) in its life-or
death struggle against Iran (which has close ties to Syria). This support
was much in evidence on a side trip I took to Petra, which is located
approximately three hours driving time south of Amman.
The best road to take to Petra is the Desert Highway which lies to the east
of the slower King's Highway. The two-lane blacktop Desert Highway is the
main arterial road from Amman south to the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan's only
port.
The road also transports a major portion of military supplies
overland to Iraq. It is incredible to see how many trucks use this road,
especially at night when they operate in convoys. The heavy truck traffic
is chopping portions of the road surface into a teeth-chattering washboard.
Interestingly, Jordan, with its political stability and more moderate
outlook toward the rest of the world, is slowly replacing Lebanon as the
Arab commercial center in the Middle East.
A fine weekly publication
called THE MIDDLE EAST TIMES, published in Cyprus, reported in its October
17th edition that the European Common Market is turning Jordan into its
main Mideast trading center. It said:
Jordan has caught the eye of the European Economic Community and
will probably be playing a major role in the EEC's future rela
tions with the Middle East••••
European experts favorably view Jordan's flourishing commerce
with her Arab neighbors, the leading role of the tertiary or
service sector of the gross national product and the presence of
many Jordanian employees in key positions in the countries of the
Gulf. They feel that, despite limited natural resources, Jordan
could become the commercial center of the Middle East, similar to
the place of Lebanon in the past.
The interest of the Ten in Jordan has been manifested in recent
years by numerous visits, seminars, exhibits and trade fairs.
King Hussein visited the European Commission in 1982 and was
honored with an invitation to address the European Parliament.
Several months later, his visit was followed up by that of his
brother, Crown Prince Hassan.