The Jordanian security forces detained several people on Saturday “for security reasons and a threat to the stability of the country” -some sources speak of up to twenty- supposedly involved in a coup attempt to remove the power of the state from King Abdullah II. According to the official Petra news agency, among the suspects who have been arrested are a member of the Royal Family itself, Sharif Hasan bin Zaid, -belonging to the Hashemite part-; and a former advisor to the monarch himself, Bassem Awadallah – former head of the Royal Household and former Minister of Finance. However, the investigation remains open and new operations are not ruled out amid growing uncertainty about what would have really happened.
In this way, Former Crown Prince Hamza bin Hussein, Abdullah’s half-brother, may be under house arrest. At least that is what he himself declared in a video sent to the British channel BBC, where he affirms that his confinement was communicated by the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Yusef Ahmed al HunaitiAlthough the Army later clarified that what it was formally communicated to him is to stop disturbing with his actions (of which they did not give more details) “the security and stability of the country.”
Hamza bin Hussein asserted that he did not participate in any conspiracy against the king. However, he took the opportunity to affirm that «Is not responsible for the degradation of governance, corruption and incompetence that has prevailed in our governance structure for the last 15 to 20 years and that has been getting worse “, in a direct criticism of Abdullah II. “I am not responsible for the lack of faith that people have in their institutions,” he insisted.
The disinherited stepbrother
The The King’s half-brother is the eldest son of the late King Huséin and his American wife, Queen Noor. 41-year-old He was crown prince from 1999 to 2004 when the current monarch withdrew him from the succession for the benefit of his son, Hussein bin Abdullah. “It has reached a point where no one can speak or express their opinion on anything without being intimidated, arrested, harassed and threatened,” Hamza bin Hussein said at the end of his video. He is considered a person close to the country’s tribal chiefs, several of whom have been arrested in this operation, according to the Al Arabiya network.
Bassem Awadallah was the driving force behind the economic reforms undertaken in Jordan a decade ago when he was Finance Minister and after having headed the internal Cabinet of the Royal Palace since 2007., a body that has broad constitutional powers. According to the newspaper ‘The Washington Post’, for many years he has faced resistance from an old guard that dominated the Jordanian court. In fact, Hamza bin Hussein was his father’s favorite and to achieve his power, Abdullah II had to make a pact with his uncle Hassan, a former prince regent, and accept that his stepbrother would succeed him on the throne, a pact that he finally broke.
Since the Army, which has closed ranks around the current monarch, the Chief of the General Staff pointed out that “all the measures taken were carried out in accordance with the law” and after “extensive investigations that motivated them.” He then wanted to emphasize that “no one is above the law and that the security and stability of Jordan take precedence over any consideration.” According to various Arab media, Jordanian Intelligence sources assume that there would be a “very well-crafted plot”, which would have “links with other countries” and that by now would have been thwarted.
International support for Abdullah
On the other hand, Different international leaders showed their support for King Abdullah this Saturday. Thus, the spokesman for the US State DepartmentNed Price said that he has the support of the United States and that they are “closely following the reports and in contact with Jordan” in an email collected by Al Arabiya.
Also, nearby countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Kuwait and Iraq They issued several statements in which they express their support for the Royal Family of Jordan and the measures necessary for the stability of the country.
Along the same lines, from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), The regional alliance led by Saudi Arabia and an ally of the United States, also expressed that “they support all the decisions and measures taken by His Majesty to preserve the security and stability of Jordan.”
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source https://pledgetimes.com/a-member-of-the-royal-family-journey-arrested-for-a-possible-coup-2/
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