What holds an Arab leader in power is a mixture of violence and prestige. Both President Assad and King Hussein were felt to have defended Arab interests against the world. That, in the end, is more important than what they wear on their head.

The Honourable James Buchan born 11 June 1954 is a British novelist and journalist. He was educated at Eton and Magdalen College Oxford and began his career as a Financial Times correspondent writing from the Middle East Germany and the United States. Biography
Buchan is the son of William Buchan 3rd Baron Tweedsmuir and grandson of John Buchan 1st Baron Tweedsmuir the Scottish novelist and diplomat.