A feud between prince and king is but one of Jordan’s problems
Oppression is no way to fix them
DON’T BE FOOLED by its nickname. The Hashemite Kingdom of Boredom, aka Jordan, has had its share of palace intrigue. After surviving uprisings and assassination attempts, the late King Hussein used his dying breaths to remove his brother, Hassan, from the line of succession. That made way for Abdullah, Hussein’s son, who has just faced down a plot against the crown, or so the authorities claim. Perhaps 20 people were arrested. Prince Hamzah, a half-brother of the king and former heir apparent, was confined to a palace outside Amman, the capital.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Battle royal”
From the April 10th 2021 edition
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