Jordan and the struggle for the throne
Jordan, Politics, 1/30/1999

The London-based Muharrir News said in a report from its correspondent in Amman that a deep feeling is prevailing the Jordanian street that the struggle for the throne has not stopped with the naming of Prince Abdullah as crown prince, and that he will assume the post of his office immediately after King Hussein's death.

Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot quoted news reports from Amman as saying that King Hussein asked his brother, Prince Hassan, to sign a referendum in which he is asked to be exempted from his post as a crown prince in order to facilitate the appointment of his son Abdullah as his heir, but Prince Hassan set a condition to signing the memorandum in that he asked the King for a written pledge to preserve his position inside the ruling family and to keep the file of economic relations with Israel in his hands.

The Israeli paper added the King refused Prince Hassan's request and preferred to announce the nomination of his son as a crown prince and then addressed the strongly critical message to Prince Hassan.

Al-Muharrir news weekly, moreover, quoted a former Jordanian minister, who refrained from being identified, as saying that King Hussein guaranteed since his arrival to Amman the loyalty of the Jordanian armed forces and security and intelligence systems. The King also, according to al-Muharrir news, obtained a promise from Crown Prince Abdullah to nominate Prince Hamzeh, the fourth son to the King from Queen Noor, as crown prince immediately after the death of King Hussein and Abdullah then, to be named a King.

The former Jordanian minister expressed his conviction that Prince Hassan, who was removed from his position as crown prince, is not a man who accepts defeat easily, noting that if he had accepted what happened to him it was because he had no other choice at the time and that he will later spare no efforts to place all obstacles before his nephew (Abdullah), especially after he has tasted the flavor of power for more than 30 years.

The former Jordanian minister did not rule out that Prince Hassan will seek the backing of the Israelis to "burn the papers" of the new crown prince, who is linked to warm relations with former Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, a matter which was also asserted by channel one of the Hebrew television which said that Abdullah is a friend of several high ranking Israeli army officers and that his sister Aishe, who leads the Jordanian women's army seeks the help of Israeli officers in training her forces.

Previous Stories:
  Saudi defense minister, Albright stress to Crown Prince Abdullah support for Jordan   (1/29/1999)
  Arab interior ministers hold 16th session January 29-31 in Amman   (1/28/1999)
  Jordanian official: King Hussein risked his life to settle succession problem   (1/28/1999)

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