Jordan's King Abdullah is one of the new American president's strongest allies in the Middle East.

VOA: standard.2009.04.26

Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah ruled out closing Jordan's border with Syria.

BBC: Obama vows extra $200m to Jordan to help Syrian refugees

Next week he will inaugurate a new bout of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, chaperoned by Egypt's president and Jordan's king (see article).

ECONOMIST: American power

Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Jordan's King Hussein and now Yasser Arafat appreciated the crucial role of public opinion, with all its fickleness and sentimentality, in Israeli peace-making.

ECONOMIST: Israelis who say no to peace with Syria