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WORLD NEWS Monday 4 april 2022
Jordan prince drops title in protest over how country is run

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — An satisfied, that he is still bitter
outspoken half-brother of and there is no reconcilia-
Jordan’s king relinquished tion.”
his princely title Sunday in It was not immediately clear
apparent protest over how if Hamzah’s decision to re-
the country is run. It was the linquish his title will help re-
latest chapter in an ongo- store his freedom of move-
ing palace feud that saw ment. Hamzah has only
the junior royal placed appeared in public once
under house arrest a year since the feud. In February,
ago.Prince Hamzah posted the court announced the
the announcement on his birth of Hamzah’s son.
official Twitter account. He The feud was a rare case of
wrote that he was driven infighting within the Hash-
to the decision because his emite royal family going
convictions cannot be rec- public. At one point Jordan
onciled with the “current imposed a gag order on
approaches, policies and reporting about the events,
methods of our institutions.” reflecting the sensitivity of
He stopped short of directly issues surrounding the royal
criticizing King Abdullah II family.
and the ruling elites, as he Abdullah had accused his
had done in the past, but brother of sedition but said
his tone signaled that the the dispute was being re-
rift has not been mended, solved within the family and
as the Royal Court suggest- Jordan’s then Crown Prince Hamzeh, left, with his mother then Queen Noor, during his wedding that Hamzah remained in
ed in the past. ceremony in Amman, Jordan, May 27, 2004. his own palace under the
The Royal Court had no im- Associated Press king’s protection. Two for-
mediate comment. last April for his alleged plot time. Hamzah went on to Sabaileh noted that mer senior officials impli-
Abdullah and Hamzah are to destabilize the Western- express hope that “we can Hamzah had made the de- cated in the alleged plot
sons of King Hussein, who allied kingdom. In a video turn the page on this chap- cision unilaterally and an- were convicted of sedition
ruled Jordan for nearly statement at the time, ter in our country’s and our nounced it on his personal and sentenced to 15 years
a half-century before his Hamzah denied the allega- family’s history.” Twitter account, rather in prison by a state security
death in 1999. Abdullah tions, saying he was being Analyst Amer Sabaileh said than in consultation with court. Particulars about the
had appointed Hamzah as punished for speaking out he expected Hamzah’s an- the royal family. alleged plot have never
crown prince upon his suc- against official corruption. nouncement to rekindle “He is trying to re-engage been made public.
cession but stripped him of Last month, Hamzah apol- the royal rift that many in with the old narrative,” Jordan is a close Western
the title in 2004. ogized to his brother, ac- Jordan believed had been Sabaileh said of Hamzah. ally and has long been
The monarch had placed cording to a letter released resolved with the prince’s “We are back to the point seen as an island of stability
Hamzah under house arrest by the Royal Court at the apology. where he is saying he is not in a turbulent region.q

Kim’s sister enraged by Seoul’s

preemptive strike comments

By HYUNG-JIN KIM The ICBM test on March 24 missile and nuclear threats,
Associated Press that broke North Korea’s but it was highly unusual for
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — four-year moratorium on a senior Seoul official under
The influential sister of North big weapons tests was an the Moon administration to
Korean leader Kim Jong Un embarrassment to South publicly discuss it.
called the South Korean Korea’s liberal President On Sunday, Kim’s sister,
defense minister a “scum- Moon Jae-in, who has Kim Yo Jong, issued blister-
like guy” for talking about pushed hard to achieve ing rhetoric directed at Suh
preemptive strikes on the greater reconciliation be- and threats toward Seoul.
North, warning Sunday that tween the countries and “The senseless and scum-
the South may face “a seri- find a peaceful resolution like guy dare mention a
ous threat.” Kim Yo Jong’s to the North Korean nucle- ‘preemptive strike’ at a nu-
statement came amid ar crisis. During a visit to the clear weapons state,” Kim Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, attends
heightened tensions be- country’s strategic missile Yo Jong said in a statement a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi,
tween the rival Koreas over command on Friday, South carried by state media. Vietnam, March 2, 2019.
the North’s spate of weap- Korean Defense Minister “South Korea may face a Associated Press
ons tests this year, includ- Suh Wook said that South serious threat owing to the Washington. South Korea’s present situation” may trig-
ing its first intercontinental Korea has the ability and reckless remarks made by spy service says she is the ger “a dangerous conflict
ballistic missile launch in readiness to launch preci- its defense minister.” North’s No. 2 official behind and a full-blown war.”
more than four years. Some sion strikes on North Korea if “South Korea should dis- her brother. Pak Jong Chon, Pak said North Korea will
experts say her statement it detects the North intends cipline itself if it wants to a secretary in the Workers’ “mercilessly direct military
could signal that North Ko- to fire missiles at South Ko- stave off disaster,” she said. Party’s central committee, force into destroying ma-
rea will conduct more sig- rea. Seoul has long main- Kim Yo Jong, a senior of- separately warned that jor targets in Seoul and
nificant weapons tests soon tained such a preemptive ficial in the North’s ruling “any slight misjudgment the South Korean army” if
and take a hardline stance attack strategy to cope Workers’ Party, is in charge and ill statement rattling South Korea preemptively
on South Korea. with North Korea’s growing of relations with Seoul and the other party under the attacks North Korea.q