Jordan gives up decision to freeze Hamas assets
Jordan-Palestine, Politics, 9/17/2003

The Jordanian government yesterday backtracked from its decision to freeze the assets of the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas and other five Palestinian societies following criticism addressed to it over this decision.

Nabil al-Sharif, Jordan's minister of information said that the governor of the Central Bank Umaya Touqan, issued a new decision "according to which it abrogated its book addressed to the chairman of the banks society pertinent to freezing the assets of certain officials at the Hamas movement and other societies in the Jordanian banks," adding that the said decision issued by the Central Bank and the government was known about only from the mass media and therefore it has no reason to issuing it.

The abrogation of the decision came following strong criticism against the government from the Islamic Action Front part, the largest political parties in Jordan, which accused the government of the prime minister Ali Abul Ragheb of being subject to the American instructions and thereby "pursuing a wrong attitude in dealing with the Palestinian issue."

Toukan had sent a message to the chairman of the Jordanian banks society Zuheir Khouri earlier in which he asked all Jordanian banks to "stop dealing" with Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and other five leaders of Hamas including Khaled Mashaal, the chairman of the movement's political bureau. Toukan also ordered severing dealing with five Palestinian charity societies in France, Switzerland Austria, Britain and Lebanon.

Washington had issued a decision to freeze the assets of the 6 societies. It is, however, expected that the American treasury secretary John Snow will hold talks today with his Jordanian peer Michael Marto in the Jordanian capital Amman on top of agenda of which American financial measures against Hamas will be taken.

Previous Stories:
  Haartez: Jordanian King: Besieging Arafat will make the Abbas mission complex   (8/4/2003)
  Abdullah: Abbas's talks in Washington show American's seriousness   (8/1/2003)
  King Abdullah hold talks with Abbas   (7/24/2003)

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