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The King's Gambit
Commentary by Smadar Peri, "Yediot Ahronot", (Sept 23, 1999, p. A6)
According to charges leveled in Amman, the hunt for senior Hamas
members was resumed in the wake of intense conversations between US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and King Abdallah II, and between
CIA Director George Tenet and his Jordanian counterpart (during the
former's most recent secret visit to the Kingdom).
The DCI, in a detailed list of explicit charges, attributed a series of
"deviant activities" to Khaled Mashal, Moussa Abu-Marzouk, Muhammad
Nazal and others - who consult and coordinate, via the internet, with
their colleagues in Syria, Gaza, Sudan and Iran. Albright, Tenet and
even Arafat, made it clear that, if Jordan is interested in an agreement
between Israel and the Palestinians, it will necessarily require "root
canal" work on the Jordan-based operations of Hamas.
Were it not for the law prohibiting the deportation of any persons in
possession of Jordanian passports, security officials in Amman would
have been to quick to dispose of Mashal and his friends. But even
prosecuting them creates a complicated situation - since, as soon there
are sentenced, they are liable to achieve "hero" status among the ranks
of Jordan's opposition movements and Islamic front. This was precisely
what happened to Ahmed Dakamseh, the murderer of the schoolgirls at
Naharayim, on whose behalf the opponents of peace with Israel are
circulating a petition calling for his release. Prime Minister Barak
knew what he was saying yesterday, when he called the arrests a "brave
decision by the King."
The dialogue between the Muslim Brotherhood representatives of the
arrested parties and the three Royal advisors is continuing for now -
despite the fact that the first meeting ended on a sour note. Tuesday's
second meeting led to the closure of their offices. At present, each
side is engaged in an examination of the other's reactions. The Islamic
Movement is finding it difficult to believe that the arrested Hamas
members will actually be put on trial and sentenced to lengthy prison
terms. Jordanian officialdom, meanwhile, is hinting that their fate is
closely connected to the outcome of the dialogue between the Hamas
leadership in the territories and the representatives of Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.