Middle East: King on the Spot

By any measure, King Hussein of Jordan is a moderate Arab monarch: antiCommunist, pro-Western, and opposed to throwing anything more threatening than verbal brickbats at Israel. Jordan has the longest and most vulnerable border with Israel of any of the Arab nations, is the first target of the Israelis' periodic retaliatory raids to Arab terrorist bombings.

However prudent it may be, Hussein's moderation is no virtue in the eyes of Arab firebrands, notably Syrian-born Nasserite Ahmed Shukairy. As the boss of the Palestine Liberation Organization, dedicated to retaking Israel for the Arabs,...

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