The Middle East nation of Jordan is often portrayed as a moderate Muslim state. The current King Abdullah, like his father, King Hussein, has often embraced the West, including some of our values. King Hussein, though, lauded the Palestinian uprising, but his son has done something far worse.
He has ordered freed six men who had been in prison on various murder and attempted murder charges. One had been convicted in the 2002 murder of an American diplomat. He belonged to a group linked to al Qaeda. Salafists have repeatedly held street demonstrations, demanding the men be set free, and the king apparently is more concerned with his position in power than he is that justice be done.
The worst of the bunch is Mohammed Izza Dumos, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the assassination of USAID official Lawrence Foley.
And so it goes in the Middle East, and so it will go as long as America is perceived as weak and no one pays a price for killing our diplomats.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.
Publication date: November 2, 2012
