Jordan stops PLO from opening refugee office

Thursday, December 2, 1999

RAMALLAH -- Jordan has prevented the PLO from opening a refugee office as part of an effort to reduce the organizations in the Hashemite kingdom.

Palestinian sources said last month PLO refugee director Assad Abdul Rahman rented an office near the Palestinian Embassy in Amman. The office was marked with a sign that "Palestinian refugee office."

The following day, the sources said, the sign was removed and the office was sealed. Abdul Rahman was told that he would not be allowed to operate in Jordan.

The sources said Jordan and Lebanon do not want the PLO to be the sole arbiter of the Palestinian refugee issue. Both countries have large refugee populations and the sources said Amman and Beirut fear that the PLO will agree to a solution that will keep the Palestinians in place.

Jordan has allowed PLO officials to meet in Amman but does not want the Fatah faction to expand its presence in the kingdom. The sources said in September Prime Minister Abdur Raouf Rawabdeh issued the request in a meeting with Palestinian officials.

On Saturday, the Jordanian daily Al Masaiyeh reported that the Fatah Central Committee responded to the request after a delay of several weeks. The committee decided to suspend funding of its Jordan branch.

The newspaper said Arafat informed King Abdullah of the decision in a meeting on Friday. The daily said Fatah obtained a pledge by Jordan to also suspend activities of Palestinian opposition groups in refugee camps in the kingdom.