All stories from the Jordan Times unless specified otherwise.
3rd shipment of U.S. military
aid to Jordan arrives in Aqaba
National unity lends
support to Palestinian struggle - Regent
Jordanian
prisoners freed by Iraqi authorities arrive in Kingdom
King Hussein, King Fahd
review means to enhance bilateral ties
Prince Hassan dismisses
Israeli excuse to keep land along the Jordan
Bodies of Hajous sent to
Iraq, Ouchi's to Lebanon for burial
Urban development
corporation awards JD850,000 tender for housing construction
Ramadan campaign brings help
to needy
3rd shipment
of U.S. military aid to Jordan arrives in Aqaba
By Caroline Faraj
AMMAN - Jordan Wednesday received the third and final component
of a $100 million defence aid package from the U.S.
Jordan took delivery of helicopter spare parts, 38 M60A3 tanks,
18 Howitzer cannons, $6 million worth of ammunition and military
personnel carriers at the Port of Aqaba, Jordanian officials
said.
Attending the delivery was Major General Tahsin Shurdom, chief of
staff for Land Forces, who said in a speech at the ceremony that
the equipment is testimony to the strong relations between Jordan
and the United States and will contribute to the Jordanian Armed
Forces' modernisation process.
Maj. Gen. Shurdom said Jordan will use the equipment to enhance
the country's defence as well as peace and stability in the
region.
He said the equipment will also enable the Jordanian armed forces
to pursue its mission along with U.N. peacekeeping troops in
various parts of the world.
Janet Sanderson, the American charge ds'ffaires at the U.S.
embassy in Amman, who attended the handover ceremony of the
equipment on behalf of U.S. Ambassador Wesley Egan, said
"the delivery of this equipment is an essential element in
the ongoing development of the Jordan's Armed Forces."
"The gift", she said, "underscores the importance
we attach to our ongoing political, military and security
relationship with Jordan. It signals our appreciation for and
recognition of the very real and important contributions that the
Kingdom of Jordan makes to the peace, security and stability in
the region."
"Support for Jordan is one area in which the U.S. Congress
and the president join hands," Mrs. Sanderson said.
The package was authorised by U.S. President Bill Clinton in
February 1996.
The first consignment of tanks and helicopters arrived in
December that year, while the second component, a C-130 transport
plane, was delivered in January 1997.
Last August, Washington also cut $100 million of annual aid for
Israel and Egypt and transferred it to Jordan. In December,
Jordan also received four F-16 fighter planes from the U.S.
U.S. embassy officials have indicated that U.S. military aid is
expected to increase significantly in 1998.
The U.S. and Jordan frequently carry out joint military exercises
and a U.S.-Jordanian military commission last April established a
fixed programme for future exercises.
National unity
lends support to Palestinian struggle - Regent
AMMAN (Petra) - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hassan, the
Regent, on Wednesday said that "national unity should rise
above all other considerations and we must protect and safeguard
it through pursuit of the path of democracy, expanding the base
of public participation and building of civil society."
Addressing residents of the Wihdat refugee camp after iftar,
Prince Hassan said: "Stability and cohesion of the Jordanian
family form the foundation on which we develop our society and
one with which we lend support to the Palestinian identity and to
our kinsmen on the Palestinian soil."
The Regent, who conveyed His Majesty King Hussein's greeting to
the refugees, said: "Jordan, which is the major Arab country
hosting Palestinian refugees, considers all Jordanians partners
in the process of building this country and ensuring a decent
living for all its citizens."
Prince Hassan recalled that his grandfather, the late King
Abdullah, the founder of the kingdom, used to describe the
refugees as "people who took refuge in Jordan in order to
participate and contribute to building the nation."
He called on the public to deal with national matters with
clarity, openness and in an objective and realistic manner.
"Jordan's real concerns are poverty and unemployment, which
the country is dealing with on a non-discriminatory bases because
poverty does not differentiate between one group and
another", said the Regent.
Referring to the security aid package which Jordan adopted last
year, he said this package is designed to combat poverty and
unemployment among various groups of the society and to lay the
infrastructure for all regions of the Kingdom.
He noted that the strategy of the social security package is
based on pure humanitarian considerations, and that it will deal
with all people on equal terms "because one cannot divide
people into two groups, one of whom will be the sole
beneficiary."
He said the social security package will be implemented on two
tracks: a long term track aiming at creating job opportunities
and improving the infrastructure and a short term track aiming at
providing financial aid to the needy people of Jordan.
Emphasising Jordan's firm stand regarding any settlement to the
Palestinian refugee problem, Prince Hassan said: "There is
no justification for any political concerns connected with the
questions of settling [the refugees]." He said that there is
consensus on the right of the refugees to return, to receive
compensation and to reject settlement in countries other than
their own.
The Regent underlined the need for a comprehensive solution to
the Middle East problem, noting that the stalled peace process
has created a state of anxiety and tension in the region.
Prince Hassan said: "Jordan constitutes the lung for the
Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip... Jordan will
continue to enhance trade and economic cooperation with the
Palestinians."
"The Palestinian imports from Israel amount to $2.5 billion
annually while Jordan's exports to Palestine amount to mere $7
million," the Prince said, noting that lack of
Jordanian-Palestinian cooperation can only serve Israel's
interests.
Prince Hassan underlined Jordan's firm policy of maintaining
strong cooperation and integration with all Arab countries,
noting that Jordan's trade with the Arab world far exceeds that
of any Arab country.
Stressing that Jordanians should deal with all issues as a single
family and as partners in construction, Prince Hassan said that
Jordanians should rely only on facts and the truth rather than
rumours aimed at belittling the Kingdom's achievements.
Among those attending the iftar were representatives of Baqaa, Al
Hussein, Madaba, Zarqa and Hitteen refugee camps who lined the
streets to greet the Crown Prince.
In the dialogue that followed the Regent's speech, notable
speakers reaffirmed allegiance to the country and King and
thanked Prince Hassan for his visit. They also echoed his call
for cohesion among members of the Jordanian family and for
enhancing the national unity.
Jordanian prisoners
freed by Iraqi authorities arrive in Kingdom
By Tareq Ayyoub
RUWEISHED - Over 50 Jordanian prisoners, freed by a general
amnesty by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, were flown to Amman
from Karameh border post with Iraq on Wednesday. The prisoners
were flown to Amman on orders by His Majesty King Hussein.
Meanwhile, reporters attempting to cover the prisoners' release
were harassed by police and their cameras, films and ID cards
confiscated after they attended a press conference at the border
held by the president of the Engineers Association, Leith
Shbeilat, one reporter said by telephone while in a police car
with 10 other journalists driven to a police station. Later on
they were released.
The reporter said police also took Mr. Shbeilat to another desert
police station. Official sources told the Jordan Times that Mr.
Shbeilat was not detained.
Dozens of policemen banned reporters, television crew and
relatives from reaching the released prisoners as their buses
arrived at the post after 2:00 p.m.
Officials said the Iraqi government on Wednesday delivered the
prisoners to the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad which arranged for
their transport to Jordan.
Police forced the crowd of over 150 men and women who began
arriving there earlier yesterday to return to the town of
Ruweished, 92 kilometres from the actual border post.
The prisoners were accompanied from Baghdad to Karameh by Mr.
Shbeilat, who met President Saddam this week and secured the
release of the prisoners.
Mr. Shbeilat said another 18 convicts had been released but
decided to remain in Iraq. Twelve men in detention, whose charges
were also dropped under the surprise amnesty, also opted to stay,
he said.
Many family members danced and sang in groups four kilometres
before the border post with Iraq before returning to Amman as
winter temperatures began to drop. Many mothers, sisters and
wives ululated in a traditional display of joy over the release
of their beloved ones and thanked King Hussein, His Royal
Highness Crown Prince Hassan and the government for exerting all
possible efforts to win their release. They also hailed President
Saddam and Mr. Shbeilat.
The release comes days after Jordan's tense ties with Iraq were
further strained by the stabbing to death of a senior Iraqi
diplomat and seven other people in Amman.
President Saddam ordered the release on Sunday after a meeting
with Mr. Shbeilat.
Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali welcomed the release after
hearing the news through international news agencies, but
insisted that Iraq should have notified Jordan officially of the
move in line with diplomatic norms. Officials said Dr. Majali
personally protested the manner in which the release was carried
out during a visit to Iraqi Ambassador Nouri Al Weiss' residence
on Tuesday.
King Hussein,
King Fahd review means to enhance bilateral ties
MECCA (Petra) - His Majesty King Hussein Wednesday held talks at
Safa Palace with King Fahd Ben Abdul Aziz and reviewed with him
bilateral relations and scopes of joint cooperation in various
fields.
King Hussein and King Fahd discussed the situation in the Middle
East region and the latest developments, particularly regarding
the peace process and the need to overcome all obstacles
faltering its progress.
The two sides voiced their support to the Palestinians and their
legitimate rights on their national soil.
Attending the meeting were His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah,
Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali, Royal Court Chief Awn
Khasawneh, King's Adviser Salah Abu Zeid and the Jordanian
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hani Khalifeh.
King Hussein earlier performed Umra (the lesser pilgrimage to
Mecca). After performing the religious rites, King Hussein
performed Al Maghreb prayers at the conferences palace in Mecca
and visited Prophet Mohammad's tomb in Medina.
Upon departure from Amman, the King was seen off by His Royal
Highness Crown Prince Hassan, Prince Zeid Ben Shaker, speakers of
the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament, Cabinet ministers and
senior civil and military officials. Prince Hassan was sworn in
as Regent during the King's absence.
Upon his arrival at King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah, King
Hussein was received by the emir of Mecca, Prince Majed Ben Abdul
Aziz, senior Saudi officials, Mr. Khalifeh, the Jordanian Consul
General in Jeddah and senior Jordanian embassy staff.
Prince Hassan
dismisses Israeli excuse to keep land along the Jordan
AMMAN (Petra) - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hassan has said
that security at Jordanian borders is the sole responsibility of
the Hashemite Kingdom and not of any other party.
Speaking at an iftar banquet hosted by the chairman of the Armed
Forces' Joint Chiefs of Staff, Abdul Hafez Mirai Kaabeneh, for
army officers on Tuesday, Prince Hassan rejected Israeli
allegations that the Jewish state's security is facing danger
coming from the east.
Israeli leaders have recently drawn maps of the West Bank that
leaves a long strip of land, as wide as 20 km, along the western
bank of the River Jordan under perpetual Israeli control. Israeli
Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu recently said that his country
would want to keep its troops along the river to guard against
what he called the danger from the east.
"Such suggestions are rejected outright especially as Jordan
has concluded a peace treaty with the state of Israel and not
with a particular political party," the Crown Prince said in
his speech at the army officers club in Zarqa.
Prince Hassan told the army officers that Jordan was determined
to execute King Hussein's directives for developing the Armed
Forces and providing them with the highest possible training so
that they can pursue their duties as best as possible.
Prince Hassan stressed the need for training that will help the
armed forces adjust to changes, emphasising special attention to
training in technological and informatics fields.
Bodies of
Hajous sent to Iraq, Ouchi's to Lebanon for burial
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN - The bodies of three Iraqis stabbed to death along with
five others in Amman earlier this week were sent to their
families in Baghdad and Beirut Wednesday for burial.
The remains of Iraqi embassy charge d'affaires, Hikmat Al Hajou,
45, and his Egyptian-born wife, Leila Shaaban, 39, left Amman in
two four-wheel drive vehicles to Baghdad after their ambassador,
Nouri Weiss, accepted condolences from over 200 Jordanians,
including Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour.
The body of Iraqi businessman Namir Ouchi was flown on a private
family jet to Lebanon and buried north of Beirut in a funeral
ceremony attended by his widow, children and a close circle of
friends.
The Hajou's coffins were driven early in the day to the residence
of Mr. Weiss, where a brief ceremony was held. A cortege of two
horses then proceeded to the couple's nearby house, followed by
the ambassador, Dr. Ensour, the murdered couple's children and
other officials and dignitaries.
A wreath from His Majesty King Hussein in the shape of a crown
was carried in front of the procession.
Eight people, including the Hajous, were found stabbed to death
early on Sunday in the three-story villa owned by wealthy Iraqi
businessman Sami Thomas George, who was among the victims.
Police have found two cars used by the unknown assailants to
escape after committing the crime which they say carried the
hallmarks of a professional hit squad or an intelligence-trained
team. One of the recovered vehicles belonged to Hajou.
Shouting Allah U Akbar (God is Greatest), Mr. Lweiss and several
other men carried the Hajous two dark coffins on their shoulders
and placed them on two separate vehicles bedecked with flowers.
The couple's son Ayman, 16, wept as the wooden coffins, sealed
with red wax, were put on two cars.
Police halted traffic around the area for a while as the four-car
motorcade left for the 12-hour overland trip to Baghdad, escorted
by Iraqi embassy employees and relatives of Hajou, who served in
Jordan for the past four years.
Police are still interrogating a Greek woman, Anistasya Lidaki,
37, a girlfriend of George, who survived the attack with several
wounds and is providing crucial evidence on the identity of the
murderers.
The woman, who has said she saw four to five attackers speaking
with a distinct Iraqi accent, is in stable condition and
recovering in hospital under a tight security watch.
In addition to the Hajous, George and Ouchi, two other Iraqis and
two Egyptians, including the villa's watchman, were killed.
All the victims had their hands and legs tied and received over
10 stabs in various parts of their bodies. Many had their throats
slit open.
George is believed to have arranged private business deals for
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his eldest son, Udai, for the
past decade. He has been residing in Jordan for over five years
and is divorced.
Officials say the motive of the grizzly murder that has enraged
many Jordanians remains unclear. But there were indications that
it was related to financial disputes involving Ouchi.
The Associated Press quoted Western diplomats as saying that
Ouchi, 48, ran a front company for President Saddam which
imported food into Iraq. He was also apparently involved in
illegal arms imports and owed the Iraqi leadership millions of
dollars.
But his family deny that the slain businessman had any deals for
President Saddam or that he had political differences with
Baghdad. Ouchi was managing the Lebanese branch of the family's
business empire - General Mediterranean Holding Co., a Luxembourg
investment firm with 60 offices world-wide. It is involved in
tourism, real estate, pharmaceuticals and sugar.
Urban development
corporation awards JD850,000 tender for housing construction
AMMAN (Petra) - The Housing and Urban Development Corporation
(HUDC) Wednesday awarded a local construction company a tender
worth JD850,000 to build the second phase of the new Marka
Housing Estate in eastern Amman.
HUDC Director General Yousef Hiyasat, who signed the contract,
said the project entails constructing 10 buildings with a total
of 68 flats.
The flats are divided into three categories according to area.
The first includes 42 flats of 110 square metres, the second 18
flats of 91 square metres, and the third eight flats of 85 square
metres in area each.
According to Mr. Hiyasat, the 22-month project is considered
complementary to the first Marka estate, which consisted of 274
residential flats of three categories. The flats of the first
phase were distributed in 1995.
Mr. Hiyasat noted that the housing units will benefit government
employees at a time when demand by limited-income groups for
reasonably priced housing units is continually growing.
He said that the HUDC seeks to build housing estates, complete
with public utilities, schools, shopping centres, and integrated
health, social and cultural services, around the country.
According to Mr. Hiyasat, employees may apply to buy the flats
within the coming two months.
Ramadan
campaign brings help to needy
By Suha Ma'ayeh
AKAIDER - A smile lit up the ageing face of Um Said after
volunteers, carrying rations of badly-needed rice, sugar, lentils
and blankets, entered her shabby house.
She is one of several thousands of Jordanians who have benefited
from a yearly campaign launched by the Queen Alia Fund for Social
Development (QAF) and organised during the month of Ramadan to
comfort Jordan's growing number poor scattered across the
Kingdom.
"In our village, almost everyone is in need," said Um
Said, a mother of eight whose husband died ten years ago, leaving
her with no income.
"It makes me feel happy that there are others who care and
feel for us," she added. "The QAF charity campaign
makes us feel human and allows us to improve our living
conditions."
HRH Princess Basma, president of the QAF, initiated the campaign
in 1991 to reflect the spirit of Ramadan, when Muslims are
encouraged to engage in acts of philanthropy.
As Um Said spoke, Princess Basma met with tens of villagers at a
run-down school in the remote village of Akaider, 48 kilometres
north of Mafraq, and listened to their needs.
Residents, many of them shepherds and farmers, thanked her for
the help extended by the QAF and aired their grievances. They
said they wanted the government to set up a health care centre,
improve the school building and solve problems associated with a
nearby garbage dump.
Princess Basma has for years appealed to institutions and
individuals in Jordan and abroad to give "what they feel is
the right zakat [alms] or aid" to help the campaign and help
the QAF implement social development projects in the badia and
other rural and poor areas.
The fund has collected over JD1.3 million in tax-exempt donations
over the past seven years, enabling it to help 750,000
individuals.
Mamdouh Abbadi, mayor of the Greater Amman Area (GAA), is heading
a fundraising committee for the campaign. Last week, the GAA
donated JD50,000.
This year's campaign is focusing on long-term income-generating
projects to improve the lot of people and maintain their dignity.
So far, over 757 families have benefited.
Families can become productive and earn money instead of relying
on traditional aid - small amounts of money given by the state
and its over 700 charities to buy food and other humanitarian
needs.
"Sustainability is the key word in terms of combating
poverty if we, as non-governmental organisations [NGOs] and the
QAF, can focus on enhancing self-reliance through income
generating programs," Princess Basma said. "This is one
of the goals of the campaign."
Princess Basma said the campaign sought to translate the spirit
of Ramadan into tangible actions "because of the very
difficult and harsh economic and social conditions" facing
some segments of Jordanian society.
"The values of this month embody solidarity and compassion.
We reflect, through the campaign, a lot of concrete efforts and
actions by different factions of society - NGOs, youth and
women's organisations, scout clubs and charitable
societies," she added.
Income-generating projects launched by QAF during the month of
Ramadan have focused on agriculture, handicrafts, food
preservation and processing, animal husbandry, medicinal and
herbal plant projects.
The campaign kicked off after Jordan plunged into a deep economic
crisis in 1989 that reduced the purchasing power of the currency.
Princess Basma said the QAF was acting as a catalyst between all
these parties to activate concrete programmes and projects and
help offer "solutions and partial solutions" to
problems through such projects.
"So many families cannot afford to provide their children
with extra needs," she said. "Economically, a school
sachet [food rations and clothes] is very difficult for a poor
family to obtain."
The campaign has helped highlight the issue of poverty as well as
unemployment, officially estimated at 15 per cent and
unofficially at between 22 and 27 per cent.
Princess Basma said the QAF engaged in tough preparations prior
to the campaign to help identify needy families and the projects
that suit their needs.
"There are many cases that actually continue to be drawn or
brought to our attention," she said. "So it is an
ongoing effort which takes place during the year."
The campaign also provides medicine and medical equipment such as
wheel chairs for individuals and expensive dialysis machines for
hospitals.
"Medicine is very expensive and there are a lot of health
problems which we aim to address through the campaign," said
Princess Basma.
It also helps needy people by covering the cost of surgery,
whether partially or fully, and granting scholarships and
assistantships to university and high school students.