The Muslim Brotherhood has demanded that the king cancel the price hikes and postpone January 23 general elections, which the group said it will boycott. Despite the unrest, US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said on Thursday Jordan remained an "important strategic partner." "We support King Abdullah II's road map for reform and the aspirations of the Jordanian people to foster a more inclusive political process that will promote security, stability as well as economic development," he said. Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens to stay away from public gatherings and universities in Jordan, state news agency SPA reported. The kingdom's embassy in Amman "warned Saudi employees and students in Jordan from going to public squares or approaching sites of gatherings and demonstrations," SPA said late on Thursday. It warned them from going to schools "to preserve their security after earlier clashes between security forces and students at universities." And the US embassy has warned Americans to avoid areas where demonstrations are being held, while saying it was "carefully monitoring the security situation in Amman and throughout the country."
