The King of Jordan who is caught on the divide Abdullah grew up never expecting to be king during his education at the US and British schools. His uncle, Prince Hassan, was groomed as crown prince but King Hussein, on his deathbed, pronounced Abdullah, his eldest son, successor. For many Jordanians, the warm reception accorded the diminutive King Abdullah II in the west only serves to highlight the growing disconnect between the ruler and the ruled. Concerted political reform in Jordan is repeatedly delayed, partly as a reaction to increased political turbulence in the region. King Abdullah was left with little choice but to back Washington's Iraq war policy. Jordan, a country of about 6m of population, is reliant now more than ever on western aid, with cheap oil from the Gulf and Iraq having been phased out or cut off.