Zaid Ibn Shaker
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Zeid Ibn Shaker, GBE, CVO (4 September 1934 – 30 August 2002) ( ar, الامير زيد بن شاكر) served as commander-in-chief of the Jordanian military for more than twelve years and the 27th
Prime Minister of Jordan The prime minister of Jordan is the head of government of the Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The prime minister is appointed by the List of kings of Jordan, king of Jordan, who is then free to form his own Cabinet of Jordan, Cabinet. Th ...
three times.
King Hussein Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family o ...
awarded him the non-hereditary title
prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
on 4 February 1996. Field Marshal General of the Army Sharif Zaid ibn Shakir was a cousin of King Hussein. He joined the military and served with the future King Hussein. In 1957 and 1958 he was the assistant military attache at the Embassy of Jordan in London. He served in a number of positions in the Jordanian military, including being a tank commander at both the brigade and division level. On 8 January 1996 he was made chief of staff for the armed services, which post he held until resigning in 1988. from In June 1987 he was made field marshal. Being a
Hashemite The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921 ...
, Zaid ibn Shaker's family had always been close to the
Royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...
, and Zaid ibn Shakir himself had been personally linked with King Hussein throughout his military career. In addition to his high palace position, he also filled a then newly created post of adviser to the king on national security, which implied that Zaid bin Shaker would retain considerable influence over military policies.


Early life

Ibn Shaker was born on September 4, 1934, in Amman. His father, Shakir Ibn Zaid, had participated in the
Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On t ...
, where he led a group of tribal levies, as well as in the
Al-Khurma dispute The First Saudi–Hashemite War, also known as the First Nejd–Hejaz War or the al-Khurma dispute, took place in 1918–19 between Abdulaziz Ibn Saud of the Emirate of Nejd and Hasa and the Hashemites of the Kingdom of Hejaz. The war came withi ...
. At the Battle of Turbah, during the conflict between the Sharifian Caliphate and
Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, عبد العزيز بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود, ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted ...
, Ibn Shakir's father saved the life of Prince Abdullah (later King Abdullah I) by providing him a horse and camel to escape. Zaid's father had likewise served with
T.E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–191 ...
, who described him as a "brave and courageous soldier". Ibn Shaker would go on to be educated at Victoria College in
Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
. Ibn Shaker would eventually be married and have two sons: Shaker and Nasreen.


Military career

Ibn Shaker was trained at Sandhurst in the early 1950's, where he met Hussein, and during this time the two became close friends. Returning to Jordan in 1956, Ibn Shaker was among a group of officers who participated in the
Arabization of the Jordanian Army command The Arabization of the Jordanian Army command ( ar, تعريب قيادة الجيش العربي, ''Ta'reeb Qiyadat Al-Jaysh Al-Arabi'') saw the dismissal of senior British officers commanding the Arab Legion by King Hussein and the subsequent r ...
. During the Zarqa incident, when Shaker was Hussein's aide-de-camp, he was sent to the Zarqa barracks to ascertain the situation. He found anarchic conditions, with rumors circling that the king had been assassinated, and uncertainty regarding individual loyalties. The arrival of the king eventually quelled confusion, and order was restored. In 1957, he was appointed as an assistant to the Jordanian military attache in Britain, and would hold that position until 1958. In 1963, he would attend the
Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Afterward, he would command the 1st Infantry Regiment,


Six Day War

In the events leading up to the war in 1967, Jordanian public opinion was strongly in favor of war. Ibn Shaker commented at a press conference in May of that year, "If Jordan does not join the war a civil war will erupt in Jordan." By the time conflict broke out, Jordanian forces were under the command of Egyptian General Abdul Munim Riad. Ibn Shaker was in charge of the 60th Armored brigade, then stationed in the Ain Qilt-Jericho area, which was, along with the 40th Armored Brigade, one of the key armored units in the Arab nations' Western Command. Eventually, the 60th Armored was moved south to Hebron, while the 40th Armored was moved north to Jericho. This was based on the idea that the Syrians would move in to support the northern end, while Egypt would move in to support the southern end - neither event materialized. When the Israelis launched their preemptive attack, the Jordanians suffered greatly from the Israeli air superiority. The 60th Armored Brigade alone lost half of its eighty tanks, mostly to air attacks. The air attacks were so severe that Ibn Shaker recalled nearly being killed by napalm:


Battle of Karameh

During the
War of Attrition The War of Attrition ( ar, حرب الاستنزاف, Ḥarb al-Istinzāf; he, מלחמת ההתשה, Milhemet haHatashah) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from ...
, Ibn Shaker was stationed on the border between Israel and Jordan. Although he was opposed to Palestinian activities against Israel, he was also opposed to Israeli attacks on Jordanian soil. On March 20, 1968, while gazing out at the Israeli side, he noticed the oncoming attack. "They were massing their forces," he would later say, "and not even bothering to hide their attack." He went to Karameh and inspected the Palestinian positions there. Assured that they were prepared, he went back to Amman to attend the birthday party of Crown Prince Hassan ibn Talal, the king's brother. During the party, Hussein took Ibn Shaker aside and said, "You should leave early and try to get some sleep. The attack will probably happen tomorrow." Sure enough, at 5:00 A.M., Hussein was told that the Israelis were crossing the river into Jordanian territory. He telephoned his officers, Ibn Shakir among them, and said, "The fun has started." The Arab forces fought well, and were aided by a low cloud cover that hampered the Israeli ground-attack aircraft. The Israelis retreated back into their territory after ten hours of fighting. Twenty-nine Israeli soldiers would be lost, while the Jordanians lost twenty-five, and the Palestinians 128.
Yasser Arafat Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf al-Qudwa al-Husseini (4 / 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), popularly known as Yasser Arafat ( , ; ar, محمد ياسر عبد الرحمن عبد الرؤوف عرفات القدوة الحسيني, Mu ...
claimed it as a victory for the Palestinians, much to the chagrin of Hussein. After the battle, Ibn Shaker led a tribute to those who had died in the battle at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He later revealed a new monument to the Karameh martyrs in Irbid.


Black September

Ibn Shaker was opposed to the freedom granted to the ''
fedayeen Fedayeen ( ar, فِدائيّين ''fidāʼīyīn'' "self-sacrificers") is an Arabic term used to refer to various military groups willing to sacrifice themselves for a larger campaign. Etymology The term ''fedayi'' is derived from Arabic: '' ...
'' forces of the
Palestine Liberation Organization The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...
(PLO). When violence broke out between Jordanian and ''fedayeen'' forces in June 1970, the PLO demanded Ibn Shaker's dismissal. Fearing that opposition to the ''fedayeen'' would only result in all out conflict, Hussein conceded, and announced Ibn Shaker's resignation. Later that month, ''fedayeen'' guerillas not only attempted to kill the king, but also killed Jozza Ibn Shaker, Ibn Shaker's sister. Ibn Shaker's dismissal did nothing to ease tension, and by late August fighting between the ''fedayeen'' and Jordanian army was a near daily occurrence. As a result, Ibn Shaker was reappointed Deputy Chief of Staff. The PLO saw his return to power as a sign that Jordan was "determined to strike and liquidate the resistance movement". As the situation in Jordan escalated, the international community began to lose faith in Hussein's ability to lead. This, combined with pressure from his top generals (Ibn Shaker included) and members of the political elite, led Hussein to decide for military action. For two weeks, Ibn Shaker planned attacks against ''fedayeen'' positions within Amman with his 60th Armored Brigade. The Jordanians had over 35,000 troops, the bulk of the Jordanian combat units at the time. Despite this, the Jordanian military still met with problems due to dated weaponry and narrow streets of the city, which provided perfect defense cover for the ''fedayeen''. Ethnic Palestinians in the Jordanian army deserted to join the ''fedayeen'', and soon PLO forces had taken over Irbid and most of northern Jordan. On September 19, 300 Syrian tanks attacked Jordanian forces in the Irbid region. They were eventually driven off after attacks from the Jordanian air force, as well as backing from the United States and Israel. Regarding the Syrian incursion into Jordan, Ibn Shaker would later remark: "Some of us, including myself, did not really think the Syrians would attack. We didn't believe that an ''Arab'' country would attack another ''Arab'' country... but we were proved wrong." During an interim in the attacks against the PLO, Ibn Shaker was given command over the operations. He assisted the general staff learned from previous mistakes, and used those lessons for further operations. With this new direction - along with new armor from the United States - a renewed offensive was launched in November 1970. The first phase of the operation saw the retaking of major urban areas such as Amman,
Ajlun Ajloun ( ar, عجلون, ''‘Ajlūn''), also spelled Ajlun, is the capital town of the Ajloun Governorate, a hilly town in the north of Jordan, located 76 kilometers (around 47 miles) north west of Amman. It is noted for its impressive ruins of t ...
, and Jarash. In the second phase, the Jordanian army pushed the PLO out of the cities and towns and into the hills Ajlun and north-central Jordan. From town to town, refugee camp to refugee camp, the Jordanians purged civilian areas of any PLO personnel. Massive firepower and indiscriminate were employed. By April 1971, all PLO fighters were out of Amman, and the ''fedayeen'' had been pushed into a pocket of defense between Ajlun and Jarash. On July 13, the last offensive against the PLO was launched, and on July 18 the last of the ''fedayeen'' surrendered.


1971-1989

In 1972, Ibn Shaker was appointed Chief of Staff. In 1976, he took the position of Commander in Chief. In 1984, when Hussein was beginning talks with Yasser Arafat for the creation of a
Palestinian state Palestine ( ar, فلسطين, Filasṭīn), officially the State of Palestine ( ar, دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn, label=none), is a state located in Western Asia. Officially governed by the Palestine Liberation Organization ( ...
, Ibn Shakir opposed Jordanian support, worried that it would create a recurrence of Black September. In 1987, Ibn Shakir was promoted to field marshal. In 1988, Ibn Shakir was appointed Chief of the Royal Court, as well as director of the ''Mukhabarat''.


Political career


Prime Minister (1989)

In 1989, price increases related to the IMF-mandated austerity program caused riots in Amman and several Jordanian cities, leading to the resignation of Jordanian government under Prime Minister
Zaid Rifai Zaid al-Rifai ( ar, زيد الرفاعي) (born 27 November 1936 in Amman, Jordan) is a Jordanian politician that served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Jordan from April 1984 to April 1989. Biography He served as Prime Minister of Jordan and ...
. Ibn Shakir was appointed as prime minister, with orders to curb corruption, ease discontent over unpopular economic measures, and arrange a general election as soon as possible. At the time, Ibn Shaker was seen as an intermediary between those who opposed elections and the reformers who desired elections. In November of that year, parliamentary elections were held in Jordan, the very first since 1967.
Mudar Badran Mudar Mohammad Ayesh Badran ( ar, مضر بدران) (born 18 January 1934) is a Jordanian politician and government minister, and industrialist. He served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Jordan on three occasions from 1976 to 1979, then again from ...
was elected as prime minister. After this, Ibn Shakir continued as a close adviser to the king.


Prime Minister (1991-1993)

Taher Masri resigned as prime minister after the collapse of his government. Ibn Shaker was once again called in, this time to reform the economy, renew Arab unity which had been damaged since the invasion of Iraq, and reach accommodation for the Muslim Brotherhood. However, Shaker's government generally favored the conservatives and ignored the Brotherhood. It survived a nonconfidence motion in December 1991, at a vote of 46-27. In 1992, all martial law regulations imposed by King Hussein since the 1967 war were removed, and political parties were once again allowed to register. Abdelsalam Majali was appointed prime minister of a transitional government in 1993.


Prime Minister (1995-1996)

After Abdelsalam Majali resigned as prime minister, Ibn Shaker was once again appointed. The government emphasized their economic plans, but primarily focused on normalizing relations with Israel. This was due to the vocal opposition to the peace treaty with Israel, which had been stronger than the government expected. Hussein adopted a hard line stance towards opponents of the accords, and banned meetings against it by Islamist, leftist, and nationalist groups. This stifled dissent "even at the expense, in the opinion of some observers, of a slowdown of the democratization process." During this time that Israel completed their withdrawal from Jordanian territory. Ibn Shaker also attempted to clear the way for increased trade and investment by implementing economic normalization. Eventually, Hussein would appoint Abdul Karim Kabariti as prime minister in February 1996.


Later life

Ibn Shaker was granted the title emir in 1996. At the age of 68, Ibn Shaker died of a heart attack on August 30, 2002, in Amman. His funeral was held in the Royal Guard Mosque, and he was buried in the royal tombs.


Legacy

At his funeral, Prime Minister Ali Abu Al-Ragheb said of Ibn Shaker, "He passed away after a journey full of giving and achievement and long years of work and diligence in the service of the homeland and the Hashemite throne." Middle Eastern military and political affairs analyst
Kenneth M. Pollack Kenneth Michael Pollack (born 1966) is an American former CIA intelligence analyst and expert on Middle East politics and military affairs. He has served on the National Security Council staff and has written several articles and books on intern ...
listed Zaid ibn Shaker as an example of Arab generals in recent decades who had proven to be "first-rate generals", listing him alongside Syria's
Ali Aslan Ali Aslan ( ar, علي أصلان) (born 1932) is a former chief of staff of the Syrian Army, a member of the Central Committee of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party and a close confidant of the late Syrian president ...
and Iraq's Husayn Rashid Muhammad at-Tikriti.


See also

*
List of prime ministers of Jordan This is a list of prime ministers of Jordan since 1921. List of officeholders See also *List of kings of Jordan References {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Prime Ministers Of Jordan Government of Jordan Jordan, List of prime ministers of Prime ...


Notes


External links


Prime Ministry of Jordan website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaid Ibn Shaker 1934 births 2002 deaths Prime Ministers of Jordan Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Honorary Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order House of Hashim Victoria College, Alexandria alumni Non-U.S. alumni of the Command and General Staff College Jordanian generals Jordanian diplomats Defence ministers of Jordan Jordanian princes 20th-century Jordanian people