Jordan, the United States and the Middle East Peace Process, 1974-1991

On 31 July 1988 King Hussain of Jordan renounced all administrative and legal ties with the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the River Jordan, initiating a turning point in the Middle East peace process. In this study, Madiha Madfai explores Jordan’s role in the USA’s peacemaking efforts during the Carter, Reagan and Bush administrations. She examines the events culminating in the action of 1988 and convincingly demonstrates a history of anger, anguish and frustration with the Middle East peace process that lay behind the Jordanian decision. Dr Madfai also assesses the effects the American-Jordanian relationship had on stability in the Middle East.

Foreword William B. Quandt; Acknowledgements; Prologue; 1. Introduction; 2. Kissinger's legacy and imprint on the Middle East; Part I. Jordan in the Carter Middle East Policy: 3. Carter picks up the threads; 4. The Camp David accords and Jordan; 5. An evaluation of the development of American strategy for the 1980s; Part II. Jordan in the Reagan Middle East Policy: 6. The evolution of Reagan's strategy; 7. The US, Israel and Jordan: collaboration and discord; 8. Two cases of collaboration and discord; 9. The US and Jordan: how 'much' became 'too much'; Part III. US, Jordan and Arab Approaches to Peace: 10. The Arab framework for peace; 11. Jordan embarks on several lines of foreign policy; 12. US and Jordan: more wheeling and dealing; 13. Postscript: evaluation and conclusion; Appendix A: comparison of Middle East peace proposals; Appendix B: Jordan-US exchange of questions and answers on the Camp David Accords, September 1978; Appendix C: US assistance to Jordan 1975–1989; Appendix D: Arab assistance to Jordan paid in accordance with the 1978 Baghdad Summit Conference and 1980 Amman Arab summits; Appendix E: Peres-Hussain Agreement (The London Document), 11 April 1987; Appendix F: Shamir's Four-point plan, April 1989; Appendix G: Baker's Five-point plan, December 1989; Appendix H: Invitation to Madrid Peace Conference, 18 October 1981; Appendix I: Letter of Assurances to the Palestinians, 18 October 1981; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.

In this study, Madiha Madfai explores Jordan's role in the USA's peacemaking efforts during the Carter, Reagan and Bush administrations. She also examines the anger, anguish and frustration that lay behind the Jordanian decision.