Jordan crisis: Detained former crown prince pledges loyalty to the king
- Barak Ravid, author of Axios from Tel Aviv
King Abdullah. Photo: Igor Palkin\TASS via Getty Images
Former Jordanian Crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who was put under house arrest on Saturday and accused of trying to destabilize the country, signed a letter on Monday pledging allegiance to his half-brother, King Abdullah II, Jordan's official news agency reports.
Why it matters: For now, the letter seems to have resolved the crisis inside the royal family that began on Saturday with a string of arrests and allegations of a coup plot.
Driving the news: Prince Hamzah signed the letter during a meeting with another former crown prince, Hassan bin Talal, who was appointed by King Abdullah to solve the crisis. Several other senior royals also attended the meeting.
What he's saying: In the letter, Prince Hamzah stressed that “thanks to King Abdullah Jordan managed to successfully deal with the threats and challenges it faced."
- “The national interest is above all. We all must stand behind King Abdullah. I am committed to the Kingdom’s constitution and I will do everything to help the King and the Crown Prince," Hamzah wrote.
Between the lines: That's a far cry from the statements he made after his arrest. Prince Hamzah has accused the government of decades of mismanagement and corruption while denying a role in any coup plot against King Abdullah.