Monitor: All the News of the World - Comment on King Hussein of Jordan's decision to name his son as his successor

IT IS not just in Jordan's but in Israel's interest that the next king succeed as well as Hussein. As Hussein's interventions at key moments in the peace process indicate, Jordan plays a unique role in the region. The prospect of Israeli-Palestinian final-status talks is about as fraught with hope and danger for Jordan as it is for Israel. At this critical time, Jordan and the region need steady, trusted hands at the wheel. The best hands would be those of King Hussein himself, whom Israelis and Jordanians alike hope will return to full health. As the king introduces changes in Jordan's ruling hierarchy, one hopes that he will manage to pass on his strength, vision, and leadership to his chosen successor as Hashemite monarch.

The Jerusalem Post, Israel

MOST JORDANIANS have known no other leader but they know very well that through the King's vision, dedication and hard work, Jordan stands where it is today. King Hussein built a modern Jordan and its various institutions in the midst of a hostile region. King Hussein achieved most of the goals he set for his kingdom by applying democratic and pluralistic principles. Today, the King says he will introduce additional reform, something that the people are more than eager to participate in. As one professor commented recently, the people are willing to tighten their belts if they see genuine reforms being effected. And they know very well that the King is determined to implement reforms at all levels of government.

Jordan Times

WHEN KING Hussein returned to Amman on the weekend, he openly rued his brother's failure to give firm responses to the despotisms in Damascus and Baghdad. Some skeptics may discount this palace account of the king's motivation as merely a cover for a paternal ambition as traditional as monarchy itself. But King Hussein has been able to stay in power for 46 years because he has not allowed himself to be careless about crucial matters. Jordan needs another king as canny as he.

Boston Globe , US