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Jordan's Prince Hassan joins conference on overthrowing Saddam
Exiled Iraqi officers and opposition groups gathering in London to discuss the overthrow of Saddam Hussein were upstaged last night by Prince Hassan of Jordan. Surrounded by TV cameras, the prince made a theatrical entrance moments before the meeting began but said he was only attending as an observer. There have been conflicting claims about Jordan's willingness to be used as a launch pad for a US attack on Iraq. Prince Hassan, brother of the late King Hussein, was heir to the Jordanian throne until the terminally ill king removed him from the succession and replaced him with his son, the present King Abdullah. He took a seat at the front next to Sharif Ali, leader of the Iraqi monarchist movement, who is a descendant of Iraq's last king. Leaving after 45 minutes, the prince gave a press conference where he said he had not intended to attract so much media attention. Arab journalists said it was unlikely that the prince would have made his high-profile intervention without the king's permission. Some suggested that King Abdullah, who has been making frequent trips to Washington, may have decided that President Saddam is doomed and that it is time to build bridges with the Iraqi opposition. The conference, held in Kensington town hall under a banner proclaiming One Army for a United Iraq, was planned as a private meeting of exiled officers to discuss Saddam's overthrow.Are we thinking in terms of a constitutional monarchy in Iraq? A job for King Hussein's brother? Sounds like a good trade... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2002-07-13 |
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