(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Schenker - The discovery of the weapons cache, announced on April 18, underscores Hamas' continuing efforts to prepare for terrorist acts even while it proclaims a tahdiya (period of calm), and it has important implications for internal Jordanian politics and the rising influence of Jordan's own Islamist movement. Hamas was expelled from Jordan in October 1999, less than a year after King Abdullah II took power. At the time, Jordanian authorities claimed that Hamas cells in Jordan were stockpiling weapons, recruiting personnel, and "building a large base for extremism" in the kingdom.
2006-05-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive