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AMMAN: A top former Jordanian royal aide was among several suspects arrested in a security raid on Saturday, when the army warned a half-brother of King Abdullah II not to harm the country’s security.
Videos posted online showed heavy police deployment in the Dabouq area, near the royal palaces, while former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein said he was confined to his home.
In a video the BBC said it obtained from his lawyer, Prince Hamzah said several of his friends had been arrested, their security removed and their internet and phone lines cut.
He denied being part of “any nefarious conspiracy or organization” but said the Hashemite kingdom “had been hampered by corruption, nepotism and misrule” where no one could criticize the authorities.
The official Petra news agency named former close associates of the royal family Bassem Awadallah, head of the royal court in 2007-2008, and Sheriff Hassan bin Zaid among an unspecified number of suspects arrested.
Sherif is a title given to people close to the royal family in Jordan.
The couple were detained for “security reasons” after a “closed” operation, Petra said, citing a security source.
United States watching closely
Hamzah is the eldest son of the late King Hussein and his American wife, Queen Noor. He has officially good relations with Abdullah, his half brother, and is a popular figure close to tribal leaders.
Abdullah had appointed Hamzah crown prince in 1999 in accordance with Hussein’s dying wish, but in 2004 he stripped him of the title and gave it to his own eldest son, Hussein.
The army denied on Saturday that Prince Hamzah, who does not hold any official position, had been detained.
“What has been published about the arrest of Prince Hamzah is not true,” said the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Major General Yousef Huneiti.
But the prince had been “asked to stop some activities that could be used to shake the stability and security of Jordan.”
A country of 10 million people, Jordan’s economy was already suffering before the Covid pandemic.
The Washington Post alleged that the former crown prince was “placed under restraint” as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to overthrow the king.
“The move followed the discovery of what palace officials described as a complex and far-reaching plot,” he said, citing a senior Middle East intelligence official.
The alleged plot “included at least one other member of Jordanian royalty, as well as tribal leaders and members of the country’s security system,” the US newspaper added.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said Washington was “closely monitoring” events in its close regional ally.
“We are… in contact with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States and he has our full support, ”he said.
Next centenary
Neighboring Saudi Arabia reacted quickly to the events in Amman.
“The kingdom emphasizes its full support for the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan … and the decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein to safeguard security and stability,” he said.
Awadallah, a former US-educated planning and finance minister, was close to the king, but has also been a controversial figure in Jordan.
Before becoming head of the royal court in 2007, he was head of the king’s cabinet in 2006.
He had been a rising figure in Jordan playing a key role in driving economic reforms in the cash-strapped country until he resigned in 2008.
Awadallah resigned after being publicly criticized for alleged interference on controversial political and economic issues.
Saturday’s security sweep comes as Jordan prepares to mark 100 years since the new kingdom then called Transjordan was established alongside Palestine under British rule.
It declared its independence in 1946 and, despite having little oil wealth, a severe lack of water and being repeatedly rocked by wars on its borders, the kingdom has managed to survive regional upheavals. – AFP
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