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Jordanian PM: Hamas' 1999 ouster from Jordan was ”mistake”

Arab World Materials 3 November 2011 02:08 (UTC +04:00)
Jordanian Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh said Wednesday that the closure of the Amman offices of the Palestinian radical movement, Hamas, and the expulsion of its personnel from Jordan in 1999 was a ”constitutional and political mistake", dpa reported.
Jordanian PM: Hamas' 1999 ouster from Jordan was ”mistake”

Jordanian Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh said Wednesday that the closure of the Amman offices of the Palestinian radical movement, Hamas, and the expulsion of its personnel from Jordan in 1999 was a "constitutional and political mistake", dpa reported.

Khasawneh, a former judge at the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ), made the statement to chief editors and columnists of local newspapers.

The Jordanian government closed Hamas' offices in Jordan in 1999 and expelled all its personnel.

But Khasawneh ruled out the re-opening of the Hamas offices in Jordan at this juncture, saying "there is no talk about this" at present.

"Jordan must have balanced ties with all Palestinian groups, including Hamas," the prime minister said.

His remarks marked a clear departure from the pattern of action that has been pursued over the past decade by Jordanian governments in dealing with Palestinian factions.

The successive Jordanian governments so far have ignored Hamas and other groups and dealt only with the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, considering the group the only representative of the Palestinian people.

Khasawneh's statement could pave the way for Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal's first official visit to Jordan after the Muslim Eid al-Adha feast, which is due to be celebrated next week, Palestinian sources said.

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