Jordan’s dependence on US foreign aid puts king in bind
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WASHINGTON — Jordan’s King Abdullah II framed his kingdom as central to US national security interests in meetings with top officials before sitting down with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
On Monday, Trump pushed for Hashemite Kingdom and Egypt to permanently accept large numbers of Palestinian refugees from Gaza as part of his plan to “clean out” the enclave of most of its 2.2 million inhabitants, saying, “If they don’t agree, I would conceivably withhold aid.”
The president appeared to downplay the threat after the meeting on Tuesday. But he insisted upon his stated plan, expressing confidence that the United States will “have a parcel of land” in both Jordan and Egypt to develop for Palestinians.
