Special to WorldTribune.com AMMAN — Jordan, in what was expected to hamper reconciliation, has blocked an official visit by Hamas. The Hashemite kingdom has prevented a visit by Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Masha’al. Jordanian sources said the General Intelligence agency recommended against allowing Masha’al to enter amid rising Islamic unrest. “There are official sides […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi Arabia has named one of the last surviving sons of the kingdom’s founder as defense minister. King Abdullah has named Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, 76, the kingdom’s defense minister. Salman, the longtime governor of Riyad, would succeed the late Crown Prince Sultan, who held the defense portfolio […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Interior Minister Nayef Bin Abdul Aziz took a major step toward the throne when he was named crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi royal court said King Abdullah appointed the 78-year-old Nayef crown prince on Oct. 28. The statement said the appointment was approved by the so-called Allegiance […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — Jordan, under pressure from the Islamist opposition, appears ready to again host Hamas, a report said. The Hudson Institute asserted that Jordan’s King Abdullah was preparing to welcome Hamas after its expulsion more than a decade ago. The institute, in a report by Israeli analyst Khaled Abu Toameh, said Jordan […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Saudi King Abdullah, the oldest leader in the Arab world, is preparing to undergo surgery. The Saudi royal court said Abdullah, believed to be 95, would be sent to a hospital in Riyad for another back operation. The court said the surgery was related to two operations the king […]