"This took place in August and will mean major changes in the military,"
a source said.
The purge was said to have taken place days after the visit by Abdullah
to the military's General Headquarters on Aug. 6. In an address to the
General Staff, the king warned of internal and external plots designed to
spark unrest among the Palestinian majority, Middle East Newsline reported.
"I clearly reiterate that no force can compel us to do anything against
the interests of Jordan and Jordanians," Abdullah said. "The one who speaks
about threatening Jordan, its identity and stability, and threatening our
national unity, does not know Jordan or Jordanians and has not read their
history."
At the same time, Abdullah promised the military to intensify
modernization efforts. He said this would include an improvement of
conditions for officers and soldiers. Jordan's military has been deemed one
of the most modern in the Middle East.
The sources did not say whether the king's address was directly
connected to the purge. But they said Abdullah and his aides have been
concerned by the rise of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Hashemite
kingdom as well as the presence of Iraqi Sunni tribal chiefs who relocated
to Amman over the last five years.
Another threat, the sources said, has come the United States, regarded
as the leading source of military aid to Jordan. They said Americans close
to the administration of President Barack Obama have been consulting with
rivals of Abdullah within the royal family.
