All stories from the Jordan Times unless specified otherwise.
8, including Iraqi DCM, murdered
in Al Rabbia
King Hussein to perform Umra,
meet Saudi King
Jordan awaits
implementation of Oslo accords, rejects Israel's security maps -
Crown Prince
Iraq releases all Jordanian
prisoners
NCP exploring ways to increase
membership, boost profile after disappointing elections showing
France, Jordan Valley
Authority sign agreement to improve irrigation system
Prince Hassan
calls on reporters to assume responsible professional role
Tourism ministry accelerating
training of sector's new personnel
8, including Iraqi
DCM, murdered in Al Rabbia
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN - Six Iraqis, including the Iraqi embassy's deputy chief of
mission and two Egyptians were stabbed to death in Amman late on
Saturday, officials said on Sunday.
A Greek woman identified as Anastasia Diotisios Lidaki, 37, was
the only survivor of the grizzly murder in which between three to
five masked men, speaking with an Iraqi accent, slit the throats
of their victims, they added.
Iraqi deputy chief of mission and Charges d'Affaires Hikmat Abdul
Razaq Al Hajo and his Egyptian wife Laila were killed at the
house of Sami Thomas George, a 62-year-old wealthy Iraqi
businessman, in the affluent Rabbia area.
A spokesman of the government denounced the attack and described
it as a "heinous crime."
"The government received the news of the murder with shock
and sorrow," said Minister of State for Information Affairs
Samir Mutawi.
"The government denounces such barbaric acts... and stresses
that those behind the attack will be referred to court," Dr.
Mutwi said.
"Jordan will not allow its territories to be a springboard
for settling disputes whatever the reasons were," the
minister added.
The attackers, using knives, stabbed to death George and Iraqi
businessmen Namir Shaker Ouji, Sadeq Siddiq Salim and a fourth
who was not identified. The bodies of the host's Egyptian guards,
Mohammad Hindawi and Shahbour, were found in the basement of the
two-story villa.
The motive of the slayings, that appears to have been carried out
by professional hit men, was unclear. No suspects were arrested
so far, security officials said.
An Iraqi embassy spokesman in Amman said the crime was
politically motivated. Baghdad was the first to break the news of
the slayings.
But the Associated Press quoted security officials as saying they
believed George may have been the target of the killers and that
the motive could have been linked to internal Iraqi feuding.
AP said George, a member of the Assyrian Christian minority in
Iraq, is believed to have run businesses for Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein and his eldest son Uday for the past decade or so.
He has lived in Jordan for the past several years.
It was the second attack involving an Iraqi diplomat in Jordan in
less than two weeks. Rahim Taher, the Iraqi embassy's commercial
attachŽ, escaped unharmed when an assailant opened fire on
him. Authorities have implicated at least 11 Iraqis, including
his mother-in-law in the attack they said was carried out due to
family problems.
A judicial source who requested anonymity, told the Jordan Times
that the attack occurred between 11:00 and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday
night.
He said five of the eight, including Mr. Hajo, 45, were found
dead in various parts of the villa with their throats slit. All
of them sustained stabs in their chest and stomach.
He added that Mr. Hajo, with scars found on his wrists, appeared
to have been the only victim to resist the attackers.
He said that eight to ten stabs were found on the body of the
Iraqi diplomat while his wife received at least five.
Four of the bodies were found on the villa's first floor -
including that of Mr. and Mrs. Hajo. Two others were found on the
second floor, while the Egyptian guards and a third body were
found in the house's basement, the source said.
He said police arrived at the scene after the Greek woman, who
was apparently Mr. George's girlfriend and was living with him,
managed to reach the phone and call for help.
The judicial official said that the victims were forced to sit on
a chair, where they were tied and stabbed at a later time.
"I have investigated many murders but this is the ugliest
and most horrible crime I have ever seen in my life," the
source said.
"The way they tied their victims and slaughtered them proves
that the killings were carried out by very professional
murderers," he added.
"Our initial investigation revealed that the attackers spent
at least 12 hours in the house before they committed their
crime,'" the source said.
"We cannot rule out a political motive behind the attack but
our primary investigations indicate that business differences may
be behind the crime," the source said.
The official said that the files found at the residence of Mr.
George shows that the Iraqi businessman has concluded business
contracts worth millions of dollars in the past few weeks.
"He is a well-organised businessman. We found all the names
and details of his contracts, debts and properties
worldwide," the source said.
He said that Ms. Lidaki told interrogators before undergoing an
operation at Al Bashir hospital that the attackers stabbed the
victims one after the other after tying their hands and legs
while sitting on chairs.
The woman, placed under tight security, is recovering from chest
and stomach wounds at the hospital, the source said.
She told investigators that the attackers took her by surprise as
she entered the house on Saturday afternoon.
"They tied my legs with ropes and tapes and put me on a
chair," Ms. Lidaki reportedly told the investigators before
she was rushed to hospital.
"The testimony of the Greek woman will be crucial to
identify those behind the attack," the judicial source said.
The source said that police investigations have discovered that
the victims were killed in a spree that lasted less than half an
hour.
A security source, who asked not to be named, told the Jordan
Times that Mr. Ouji, a relative of the well-known Iraqi
millionaire Nazmi Ouji had business links with Jordanian
partners.
The source said that Mr. George had been married to an Iraqi
woman, whom he divorced in the past few years.
After the divorce, she left with her son Sahim to the United
States but later on sent her son to live with his father, the
source said.
A spokesman of the Iraqi foreign ministry, which broke the news
after several hours, denounced the attacks and called for an
immediate investigation into the "cowardly" killing.
"It was a disgusting massacre," a stunned Iraqi
official told Agence France Presse in Baghdad.
"Even if it is too early to comment, we believe a third
party may have had a hand in it," he said.
But another official here reproached the Jordanian authorities
saying they "must provide the security to prevent the
recurrence of such incidents."
The Iraqi government said that it will dispatch the foreign
ministry undersecretary, Sa'ad Al Faisal, and a senior security
official to follow up on the investigation.
King Hussein to perform Umra,
meet Saudi King
AMMAN (J.T.) - His Majesty King Hussein is due to travel to Saudi
Arabia over the weekend to perform Al Umra (Lesser pilgrimage) in
Mecca and to meet King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and senior Saudi
leaders including the Saudi Crown Prince.
The King is expected to be accompanied on the visit by a number
of Royal family members, Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali, Chief
of the Royal Court Awn Khasawneh and a number of advisers.
Jordan awaits implementation of Oslo accords,
rejects Israel's security maps - Crown Prince
By Alia A. Toukan
AMMAN - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hassan has reaffirmed
Jordan's "unwavering position" of non-interference in
Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, while stressing Jordan's
continued support for the Palestinians and their efforts to
regain their rights.
Prince Hassan said that even though the Kingdom does have an
interest in certain Palestinian-Israeli final status issues such
as refugees and water, it plays no role in other purely bilateral
matters between the two parties, such as security.
In response to questions raised by journalists after he hosted an
iftar for them Saturday, the Crown Prince also reiterated
Jordan's rejection of "security" maps proposed by
Israeli Minister of Infrastructure Ariel Sharon.
Prince Hassan said Israel will continue to put forth its own
proposals, but Jordan's position on these issues is clear as it
awaits the implementation of the Oslo accords, including the
second and third redeployment of Israeli troops from Palestinian
areas.
In addition, Jordan will not be responsible for the consequences
resulting from any Israeli unilateral move, the Crown Prince
said.
Asked about a possible Jordanian initiative to revive the
faltering peace talks, Prince Hassan said "there is an
attempt to consolidate a Jordanian-Palestinian dialogue and to
strengthen coordination in this phase."
But, he continued, "we do not want to talk about political
initiatives at this stage," pointing out that there is a
clear American interest in putting the talks back on track.
Responding to a question on a statement made by Israeli Labour
Party member of Knesset Haim Ramon, that a Palestinian state will
be established in Jordan, and the position of Labour leader Ehud
Barak in this regard, the Crown Prince said the Labour leader was
unequivocal in stressing Israel's commitment to respecting the
sovereignty of Jordan and the peace treaty.
"Barak did not say anything that would indicate
non-acceptance of the basis of the treaty which is based on
respecting the sovereignty of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
There is no change in that position," the Crown Prince said.
He noted that neither Mr. Barak nor Mr. Sharon showed any
deviation from their commitment to the treaty, which Jordan
signed with the state of Israel, and not with a single political
party.
Prince Hassan said that the clash of interests over resources and
land that is being translated into maps pertains to the occupied
territories and Israel and not to Jordan.
"The problem that remains unresolved is the capacity of the
land in relation to water, social and topographic needs in light
of the emigration to Israel of 600,000 to 700,000 Russian
immigrants, the natural population growth and the limited
resources," the Crown Prince said.
On the issue of Palestinian refugees, Crown Prince Hassan
reiterated Jordan's support for their right of return and/or
compensation.
He said the refugees problem is an over-arching issue that
involves four host countries in addition to the PNA. Accordingly,
no single country can solve the refugee problem individually,
hence coordination of stands is needed between the host countries
and the PNA.
"We say 'yes' for compensation and the right of return and
to national unity, and no to settlement of refugees [in their
host countries]," he said.
The word "normalisation" must be defined, he said, in
answer to a question about Jordanian-Israeli relations, pointing
out the need for bridging the gap between ideology and
pragmatism.
Jordan's trade relations with the Palestinians must be developed,
he said, noting that Israeli exports to the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip reaches $2.5 billion, while Jordanian exports to
Palestinian areas does not exceed $7 million annually.
Developing trade relations between the Palestinians and Jordan
would decrease the dependence of the Palestinian economy on
Israel and help consolidate the Palestinian identity, he
emphasised, adding that Jordan's trade with the Arab world
exceeds that of any other country in the region.
As for Jordan's decision to send an observer to the controversial
Turkish-Israeli 'search and rescue' exercises held in the
Mediterranean Sea on January 5, Crown Prince Hassan said that
Jordan needs to develop its limited naval capabilities in order
to deal with possible crisis in the Gulf of Aqaba.
Saying that there have been similar exercises in the past in
which some Arab countries participated, the Crown Prince
questioned the motives behind the criticism launched against
Jordan for its participation especially at this timing.
Iraq releases
all Jordanian prisoners
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Sunday ordered the
release of all Jordanian prisoners in Iraq, the Iraqi News Agency
(INA) said.
"President Saddam Hussein decided that all Jordanian
prisoners be freed immediately... whatever their sentences,"
the agency said.
Minister of State for Information Affairs Samir Mutawi told the
Jordan Times last night that the government had no information
available on the Iraqi decision and could not therefore comment
on it.
"Until this moment we have not been informed about the Iraqi
decision," said Dr. Mutawi. "We cannot comment on it
before we receive an official notification from the Iraqi
side."
"But in principle the Kingdom welcomes any decision by any
government to release Jordanian prisoners from its jails,"
said Dr. Mutawi.
The INA said that President Saddam made the decision after
meeting former Islamist Deputy Leith Shbeilat in Baghdad.
President Saddam also ordered a "halt to all legal
proceedings against all Jordanians" held on various charges.
The problem of Jordanian prisoners in Iraq, a thorny issue in the
relations between the two countries, was discussed between the
two countries' interior ministers earlier this month.
Minister of Interior Nathir Rashid met with his Iraqi counterpart
Mohammad Zmam Abdul Razaq in Amman earlier this month and agreed
to hold further talks after Ramadan.
Mr. Rashid told the Jordan Times at that time that Mr. Abdul
Razaq had handed him a file containing the names of 63 Jordanian
prisoners.
The issue of Jordanian prisoners in Iraq surfaced after Iraq
executed four Jordanians in Baghdad on Dec. 8 for smuggling car
spare parts.
The Iraqi move prompted a strong reaction from Jordan which
recalled its charge d'affaires in Baghdad, Adil Sweidan, and
expelled seven Iraqi diplomats.
NCP exploring ways
to increase membership, boost profile after disappointing
elections showing
By Francesca Ciriaci
AMMAN - The much-touted National Constitutional Party (NCP) is
exploring ways to attract new members and boost its political
profile after its disappointing performance in the Nov. 4
parliamentary elections, party officials said Sunday.
An independent commission of experts appointed by the NCP to
assess the performance of the troubled group, born in May from a
merger of nine centrist parties, said the party needs to
restructure its basic organs and institutions.
"The report recommended that the NCP assess the number of
their members and give more importance to the organisation of the
work of the executive committee," NCP Spokesperson Hakim
Kheir told the Jordan Times.
He said the report was "very comprehensive, detailed and
highly objective."
Only two of 11 NCP candidates fielded in the race won seats in
the 80-member Lower House of Parliament, a heavy blow after the
party suggested it would score huge victories and become a major
political power.
The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the NCP's main opponent and at
one time the single largest political group in the Lower House,
boycotted the elections to protest government policies. The
Islamists' boycott reinforced speculations that the NCP could
become the single largest party in the House, dominated by
centrists, tribal leaders and pro-government figures.
But personal feuds and rivalries provoked subsequent waves of
resignations, with some 200 members quitting the NCP to protest
the lack of democracy in the party. The resignations shortly
before the ballot helped weaken the party and discredit its
performance.
The evaluation report suggested that the NCP "entered the
elections without enough attention to the political forces which
were interacting in the election process," Dr. Kheir said.
In a late "mea culpa," the report also suggested that
the party did not provide candidates with sufficient financial or
logistical support, Dr. Kheir added.
In addition, "Voters did not have the time or willingness to
read the party's political platform, which took us about three
months to prepare and includes all issues, whether domestic,
regional or international," he added
"The party's platform was written by highly specialised and
qualified people and could have been an excellent programme to
solve many of the outstanding issues facing Jordan today,
particularly the three crucial problems of poverty, unemployment
and rising cost of living," he said.
"In order not to repeat the mistakes committed during the
period of the NCP's establishment," Dr. Kheir said, the
party's strengths and weaknesses as indicated in the report will
be the focus of an upcoming national convention, to be held
"between May and June."
"We are pleased with the report, and think it is a healthy
endeavour. We will try to restructure our party on a more solid
basis, taking into consideration the experts'
recommendations," Dr. Kheir concluded.
France, Jordan
Valley Authority sign agreement to improve
irrigation system
AMMAN (Petra) - France is to grant Jordan technical aid worth
$48,840 to help it improve the irrigation system in the Jordan
Rift Valley, according to an agreement signed Sunday in Amman.
Under the agreement, which was signed by Dureid Mahasneh,
secretary general of the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA), and
French Ambassador to Jordan Bernard Bajolet, the French
government will also cover the expenses of French engineers who
will be working with the JVA.
The agreement will be renewed annually provided the required
funds are available.
Following the signing ceremony, Dr. Mahasneh said the agreement
was of paramount importance as it entails closer cooperation
between the JVA and the French embassy and involves local Jordan
Valley farmers in the use of modern equipment.
The agreement also follows technical advice from the French to
the JVA in changing the present water distribution system and
agricultural extension services and in developing the present
irrigation system in the valley, he added.
Dr. Mahasneh said Jordan is facing a scarcity of water resources
due to the growing demand by all sectors, especially the
agricultural sector, which consumes the lion share.
Dr. Mahasneh also praised the cooperation between France and
Jordan over the past few years. He noted that French assistance
in the past several years to the water sector in Jordan has
amounted to 3.5 million French francs ($569,800).
The French aid contributed to the development of a major part of
the irrigation system and financed the cost of feasibility
studies and the preparation of tender documents for the projected
Al Mujib Dam in southern Jordan, he added.
Dr. Mahasneh expressed hope that the agreement would help attract
investors for this important project, which he said is bound to
save up to 60 per cent of water supplies.
Mr. Bajolet said the agreement reflects the ongoing cooperation
between France and the JVA to help farmers economise in the
consumption of water for irrigation without affecting the
agricultural process. He added that the project will help Jordan
ensure sufficient water supplies for increased food production.
The ambassador said he considered the agreement as the foundation
for using modern technology in Jordan to expand its irrigation
network in the valley.
Prince Hassan calls on reporters to assume responsible
professional role
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh
AMMAN - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hassan has stressed the
importance of media institutions in encouraging constructive
dialogue among all sectors of the community.
During an iftar banquet he hosted for media professionals on
Saturday evening, the Prince urged journalists to assume a more
responsible role in the execution of their profession, since, by
doing so, they enhance the importance of press freedom as a basis
for the progress of democracy.
The Crown Prince called on representatives of the state and
private media to aim to be more responsible and objective by
conveying the truth and criticising in a constructive manner.
Freedom of speech is enshrined in the Constitution and it could
only be guarded and furthered by competent performance based on
true awareness and realisation of the responsibility that comes
with it, he said.
He insisted that media people should be aware of the enormity of
that responsibility, and should take the initiative to protect it
by devising a code of honour that is based on credibility,
integrity, objectivity, precision and the highest interests of
the country.
"Respect of truth and accurate reporting, without prejudice
or self-interest, is a sacred principle in journalistic work,''
he said.
"We have come a long way in making freedom of speech and
expression a reality," he said, adding that several sides
have taken advantage of that freedom and have tried to harm the
country and its achievements.
"The misinterpretation of the freedom of speech and
expression by some should not dissuade us from continued efforts
in making it a strong basis for our democratic process," he
said.
During the banquet, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister
Jawad Anani, Minister of Water and Irrigation Munther Haddadin
and Minister of State for Information Affairs Samir Mutawi, the
Prince noted the urgent need for proper and
continued training of journalists in order to help them improve
their professional skills and deal with new developments in the
field of communication.
He called for media organisations to cooperate in establishing a
media training institute to train journalists and upgrade their
skills.
The Prince also pointed to the rapid development in information
technology and its influence on the exchange of data in a world
that is increasingly becoming a true global village.
"Information is an important weapon that we should arm
ourselves with in order to defend our causes and to build a
better Jordan," he said.
"It would be a helpful source that would convey our message
to the world [transferring us] from being importers of news to
exporters," he said.
He also called for a working relationship between the newspapers
and the Jordan news agency, Petra. The agency, he said, could
become a mixed entity with public and private ownership.
Prince Hassan also called for the establishment of an information
centre "that would be a national reference point for
newspapers and researchers to make use of."
Tourism
ministry accelerating training of sector's new personnel
AMMAN (J.T.) - Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Akel Biltaji
on Sunday said his ministry is speeding up the implementation of
a training programme for personnel involved in the tourism
sector.
Speaking at a meeting with a committee tasked with devising plans
for the tourism sector as part of the country's 1998-2002
development plan, the minister noted that the current political
circumstances in the Middle East have adversely affected the
growth of the tourism sector.
Had there been political climate with fewer negative elements,
Jordan would have witnessed a tourism boom, said the minister.
But "even if we had a boom at the moment, we would be facing
the problem of providing sufficiently trained and qualified
cadres to run services at the hotels and other tourist
businesses," he said.
In a lecture delivered last month at Al al Bayt University, Mr.
Biltaji said Jordan witnessed a decline in 1997 in the number of
tourists visiting its archaeological and tourist attractions
compared to the previous year. However, he added this will not
discourage the country from exerting efforts to improve tourist
facilities.
Pointing out that the number of tourists in 1997 dropped by 5.5
per cent from the previous year, the minister said an increase in
the average length of stay compensated for fewer tourists.
Ministry of Tourism sources said that at least four major
five-star hotels are currently under construction in Amman at the
total cost or JD100 million, and others are being built near the
Dead Sea and the port of Aqaba.
At the meeting, Mr. Biltaji said the ministry will introduce new
and practical methods to ensure development of the tourism
industry.
To achieve sustainable tourism development, the minister said,
Jordan needs new regulations. The country should also guarantee
security for tourists and develop facilities at tourist and
archaeological sites and include these plans in the five-year
development programme.
Mr. Biltaji emphasised the need to raise awareness among the
public about the importance of tourism for Jordan. In this
respect, he said, the five-year tourism development plan should
be based on civic society's institutions and helped by
non-governmental organisations and a private sector with a
greater role to ensure further investments.
Mr. Biltaji urged the committee to conduct a comprehensive survey
of the more than 150,000 archaeological sites in the Kingdom.
The committee discussed the general outline of the five-year
plan, projects to be given priority, and other relevant issues.