Crossing Jordan

Arutz Sheva reports that Hamas seems to have its eyes on more than just Israel. Apparently they have tried not only to store weapons in Jordan, but also to assassinate Jordanian officials as well:

Jordan announced Wednesday that it had arrested 20 suspects and seized stockpiles of Hamas weapons, including dozens of grenades and Iranian-made Katyusha rockets. Three Hamas members were shown on Jordanian television Thursday confessing to planning to kill senior Jordanian intelligence officials and stockpiling weapons in the
Kingdom.

One of the three Hamas members admitted that he received training in resisting interrogation methods from Hamas in Syria. Another admitted he obtained weapons and ammunition on behalf of Hamas in Jordan--neither of these is going to endear Hamas, or Syria, to Jordan.

The Hamas response is interesting in that they actually don't come right out and deny it:

Hamas chairman and PA prime minister Ismail Haniyah denied that his terror group was involved. "We are surprised by this media escalation in Jordan," he told reporters. "There has been no change in Hamas's policies toward Jordan and what is going on in the media is not acceptable to us."

So according to Haniyah:
1. He is surprised that Jordan has broadcast the confessions on TV
2. There is no change in Hamas' policies towards Jordan (whatever those may be)
3. Hamas doesn't like the negative publicity

But based on the way Haniyah is quoted, he does not come right out and say that Hamas was not behind those arrested--Apparently terrorist double-speak is not directed only at Israel.

Meanwhile, it seems that King Abdullah II continues to take on the role of his father, just as Hamas is following in the path of Arafat. Arafat, like Hamas, also had plans for Jordan, and was chased out by King Abdullah's father in what became known as Black September. Meanwhile, like his father, King Abdullah claims to be responsible to some degree for looking out for the Palestinian Arabs, saying that Hamas' plot:

...will not stop Jordan from pursuing its national role towards them leading to their full rights, foremost of which is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state

In an already complex and tense situation, Hamas has managed to increase the existing fears of the royal family in Jordan of the potential for an overthrow of Hashemite regime by its Palestinian majority, making it into a Palestinian state.

The players have changed, but the plot remains the same.

Technorati Tag: Hamas and Jordan and King Abdullah II and Ismail Haniyah.