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  1. For the past week, Mudar Zahran has not posted videos of protest demonstrations in Jordan, for the first time in two years. The last videos he broadcast showed protester’s being rounded up and taken away by Abdullah’s police. It seems clear that the activists who had been sending these videos to Zahran have been locked up and are unable to send him videos to broadcast–at least for the time being.

    But Mudar Zahran has not been idle this week. He has published a lengthy manifesto in Arabic, with an English google translation, outlining in detail to the Jordanian people the program of the JOC. It includes specific promises to institute specific reforms–ban ethnic or religious discrimination, provide relief to the poor and unemployed, encourage foreign trade and investment buy reducing tariffs, institute affirmative action for groups that have been subject to discrimination in Jordan, and many other specific programs. He outlines a plan for a new democratic constitution with , an elected President, and an elected parliament with fair, electoral districts proportionate to population. He also suggests strengthening ties to the United States and the other “great powers.” He does not specificly mention Israel.

    Clearly, Mudar has changed tactics in view of the changing situation ‘on the ground” in Jordan. Temporarily unable to broadcast videos of demonstrations, he has decided to directly address the Jordanian people with his specific programs for change, instead of just criticizing the King. This is a wise decision on his part. Perhaps an overdue one. Focusing entirely on the demonstrations, without addressing the people with a detailed proposal for reform and change, may have been a tactical mistake. Now Zahran has begun to supply what was lacking on his site. “Necessity is the mother of invention.”