Meanwhile ....(Gertz, excepted, sub required)
Abdullah has designated Hamas a key threat to Jordan, which includes a Palestinian majority. Abdullah is a fighter and he realizes that if he doesn't stop Hamas now, he won't see his children take over the monarchy."What some members of Hamas did against Jordanian national security by smuggling weapons and explosives into Jordan will not affect whatsoever the historic relationship with the Palestinian brothers," Abdullah said. "It will not stop Jordan from pursuing its national role toward them leading to their full rights, foremost of which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state."
Abdullah was being typically generous. But his security and intelligence services have been working overtime to track the Hamas threat. Hamas, included on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations, has been feeding on the Palestinian majority to win support for an eventual Islamic takeover of the kingdom. Hamas's strength is in the 11 Palestinian refugee camps, where anti-monarchial feelings run high.
"There has been a significant increase in monitoring of the refugee camps in Jordan," a Western diplomatic source said. "There have been frequent, if unreported, raids as well as arrests. Tension is high."
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