Saudi, UAE, Washington voice support for Jordans King Abdullah II

RIYADH/AMMAN: The Saudi royal court voiced its support for Jordan’s King Abdullah on Saturday, the Kingdom’s Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

“The kingdom affirms its full support, with all its capabilities, to all decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah and His Highness Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, to maintain security and stability,” said a statement from the Saudi royal court.

The statement comes after wide-ranging arrests have been made last night in Amman. Detained reportedly include former Jordanian head of royal court Bassem Awadallah. Prince Hamza bin Al Hussain, former Jordanian Crown Prince, has posted a video where he claims to be under house arrest too.

Meanwhile, the US State Department said on Saturday that King Abdullah is a "key partner" of the United States and "has our full support" amid reports that his half-brother Prince Hamza had been questioned — possibly in relation to an alleged plot to destabilize the country.

In an email, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, "We are closely following the reports and in touch with Jordanian officials. King Abdullah is a key partner of the United States, and he has our full support."

The Jordanian military said on Saturday that Hamza bin Hussein, former crown prince, was asked to halt actions used to target the country's "security and stability."

People familiar with the affair told Reuters it could have been related to a plot to destabilise the country.

Arab states and organizations also expressed solidarity with Jordan's king.

• Egypt voiced its support for Jordan’s King Abdullah and his efforts “to maintain the security and stability of the kingdom against any attempts to undermine it,” Egypt’s presidency spokesman wrote on Facebook.

• Bahrain state news agency BNA reported: “His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa affirmed full support to the decisions and measures taken by HM King Abdulla II Ibn Al Hussein of Jordan to maintain his country’s security and stability and defuse all disruptive attempts.”

• Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak al-Hajraf, in a statement, “affirmed the full support of the Cooperation Council for all decisions and measures taken by His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, to preserve the security and stability of brotherly Jordan, wishing brotherly Jordan continued security and stability under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Highness, the faithful Crown Prince.”

• Lebanon: “Jordan’s security and safety is a fundamental basis for the security and safety of the Arab world,” Lebanese Prime Minister designate Saad al-Hariri said on Twitter. “All the solidarity with the Jordanian leadership and King Abdullah in defending the gains of the Jordanian people, protecting their stability, and refusing interference in their affairs.”

• Kuwait’s foreign ministry expressed “its support to all the measures taken by Jordan’s King Abdullah and his Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, to maintain the security and stability of the kingdom,” adding that “the security and stability of the kingdom are that of Kuwait.”

• Iraq: “The Iraqi government affirms that it stands with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, in any steps taken to preserve the security and stability of the country and take care of the interests of the brotherly people of Jordan, in a way that boosts their presence, by relying on measures that aims to extend the respect of the state,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

• Qatar's state news agency QNA reported: “Qatar expressed its full solidarity with the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and its full support to the decisions and measures issued by His Majesty King Abdullah to preserve the security, stability, and boost the process of progress and prosperity in the country.”

“Qatar affirmed that the security and stability of Jordan is an integral part of its security and stability, and stressed that the developed strategic relations between the two brotherly countries will remain an honest and strong guard against any attempts to undermine the security and stability in the two countries and the region.”

• Yemen’s internationally recognized government “affirms its absolute support and its complete stand with all measures aimed at preserving Jordan’s security,” state news agency Saba reported.

“Yemen affirms its absolute support and totally stands with all decisions and measures taken by His Majesty King Abdullah aimed at maintaining security and ending any attempts to destabilize the sisterly Kingdom of Jordan,” it added.

• Palestine: “Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that we stand by the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the king, the government, and the people,” official Palestinian news agency WAFA said in a statement.

“We support the decisions taken by King Abdullah II to preserve Jordan’s security and ensure its stability and unity.”

“We support the steps taken by King Abdullah to maintain Jordanian national security, stressing that Jordan’s security and stability is a supreme Palestinian interest,” he added.

• Arab League: “The secretary-general of the Arab League expressed full solidarity with the measures taken by the Jordanian leadership to maintain the security of the kingdom and maintain the stability,” the Arab League said in a statement on its Facebook page, citing Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

“He also stressed his confidence in the leadership’s wisdom and its keenness to secure the country’s stability in parallel with the respect for the constitution and the law.”

“Ahmed Aboul Gheit added that King Abdullah II has a high and appreciated position, whether among the Jordanian people or on the Arab level in general, and that everyone knows his sincerity and his great role in serving Arab causes,” it added.

• United Arab Emirates: “UAE affirms its total support to the sisterly Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. UAE affirms that it stands with and totally supports all the decisions and measures taken by King Abdullah II and his Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II to maintain the security and stability of Jordan, and defuse every attempt to influence them,” state news agency WAM reported. “UAE affirms that the security and stability of Jordan is an integral part of its security.”

— With wire reports