Jordan’s king breaks silence after royal drama grips the country

Jordan’s king breaks silence after royal drama grips the country

The saga began over the weekend, when Jordanian authorities detained around 15 people, including a high-profile political figure and at least one member of the royal family. A popular prince, Hamzah bin Al Hussein, claimed to have been have been placed under effective house arrest in a video sent to media. Authorities alleged that Prince Hamzah was part of a plot backed by unnamed foreign entities to "destabilize" the kingdom -- a claim that he has denied."Sedition came from within and without our one house, and nothing compares to my shock, pain, and anger as a brother and as the head of the Hashemite family, and as a leader of this proud people," said King Abdullah in a written statement released on Wednesday. Addressing speculation on the whereabouts of Prince Hamzah, who is Abdullah's half-brother, the King said the popular royal was "with his family, at his palace, in my care." "Sedition" in the kingdom had now been "nipped in the bud," he also said.What Prince Hamzah saidPrince Hamzah was Jordan's crown prince for five years after his father, King Hussein, died in 1999. In 2004, King Abdullah stripped him of his title as heir apparent, and later named his