The government has accused King Abdullah II’s half brother, Prince Hamzah, of undermining national security, and arrested several of his associates.
King Abdullah II of Jordan broke his silence Wednesday night over the unusually public rift with his half brother, Prince Hamzah, justifying the steps he had taken to curb his brother’s movements, while asserting that their “strife had ceased.” In an open letter addressed to the Jordanian people that was read on television, King Abdullah wrote that Prince Hamzah had committed “to place the interest of Jordan, its constitution and its laws above any other considerations.” The king added: “Hamzah today is with his family, in his palace, under my care.” The prince has claimed that he was under house arrest. This past weekend, the Jordanian government accused Prince Hamzah, a former crown prince, of having plotted to undermine the security of the country.
