A report in the International Herald Tribune had this to say: "But even as Jordanians worried about their long-serving monarch, they also began turning their attention to Prince Abdullah who, after a bitter split in the royal family, was named crown prince only Monday. Papers printed full-page pictures of the country's 'cub from the lion king.' Though the king, in an unusually blunt public letter, had criticized his brother's leadership during the six months that he was at the Mayo Clinic, Prince Hassan appeared to have set that rebuke aside, and was among the first to hug and congratulate the new heir after a formal swearing-in ceremony Wednesday.

"While the shift caused controversy here and was criticized by those who felt the more-experienced Prince Hassan should have been left in charge, diplomats and local analysts also said that, as the king's eldest son and a respected army officer, Prince Abdullah will wield authority. He will turn 37 on Friday. The loyalty and support of Jordanian tribal leaders will be automatic, they said, and the new heir can count on support from his extended Hashemite family, a clan whose unchallenged legitimacy here stems from its direct descent from the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

"In addition, as a career soldier and head of the Jordanian Special Forces, the crown prince will have the support of another key pillar of this society: the military, an institution important to political stability but one with which Prince Hassan never had close ties.

"One diplomat said that despite his youth, Jordanian tribal, military and other leaders loyal to King Hussein would rally around Prince Abdullah, making any instability inside the country unlikely. They also would help guard against mistakes in his initial dealings with regional and international leaders. What's more uncertain, and perhaps more important to Jordan in the long run, is his stand on issues like economic reform and democratization. Few Jordanians have ever known any other king, and most ordinary people here say they cannot imagine how anyone could fill the shoes of King Hussein" (International Herald Tribune, January 28, 1999).