Jordan.
Jordanian authorities said on Sunday that they have dismantled a plot to ‘destabilize’ the kingdom, which involved Prince Hamza bin Huséin, King Abdullah’s half-brother, and that they had arrested several suspects.
Hamza, Crown Prince until 2004, and others were in contact with a foreign force to “destabilize Jordan’s security,” Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said.
King Abdullah II of Jordan’s half-brother, Prince Hamza, 41, announced on Saturday that he had been placed under “house arrest” in his palace in Amman after being accused by the military of activities against “the security of the kingdom.”
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In a video his lawyer sent to the BBC, the Jordanian prince said the army chief of staff was at his home and told him he “couldn’t go out”. He denied participating in a conspiracy and accused his country’s authorities of “corruption” and “incompetence”.
On Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said the security forces had “ monitored the activities and movements of Prince Hamza bin Huséin, Cherif Hasan ben Zaid and Basem Awadalá (former adviser to the king) and others against security for a long period of time. and stability of the homeland. “
“The investigations have made it possible to monitor interventions and contacts with foreign parties to destabilize Jordan’s security,” he continued.
Hamza is the eldest son of King Hussein and his American wife, Queen Noor. In accordance with the wishes of his father, who died in 1999, he was appointed crown prince when Abdullah became king. But in 2004, Abdullah II withdrew the title from him and passed it on to his eldest son Huséin.
Safadi said that between 14 and 16 suspects had also been arrested.
According to him, the security forces advised King Abdullah II to hand over all involved to the State Security Court.
“Resentment”
On Twitter, Queen Noor on Sunday denounced a “slander” and said “she pray that truth and justice prevail for all innocent victims.”
In a statement, Jordanian Chief of Staff, General Yusef Huneiti, said Prince Hamza had been “called to halt activities that could be used to undermine the stability and security of the kingdom,” but denied his arrest.
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“No one is above the law. Jordan’s security and stability come first. All measures taken were within the framework of the law and after a thorough investigation,” he added.
A Jordanian analyst, who would not give his name for security reasons, said Prince Hamza had recently “been increasing his criticism of what he calls government corruption in his circle of friends.”
According to him, “there is some resentment on his part because he never finished digesting the loss of the crown prince title.”
The Kingdom of Jordan, celebrating its centenary on April 11, is a small country with no natural resources and heavily dependent on foreign aid.
Washington and Gulf allies quickly expressed support for Amman’s pro-Western government, which is seen as a stabilizing pillar in the Middle East.
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In the United States, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the development of the situation was being “very closely” monitored.
“King Abdullah is an important ally of the United States and he has our full support,” he added.
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have also expressed their support for the Jordanian king and all measures taken to ensure the stability of the country.
According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al Sisi also called the king and guaranteed “his full solidarity” and “full support”.