Jordanian government accuses king's half-brother of "conspiring with foreign elements" in a "malicious plot"

Amman — Jordan's deputy prime minister, Ayman Safadi, has accused the half-brother of King Abdullah II of "conspiring with foreign elements" in a "malicious plot" that threatened the security of the country. In a televised news conference on Sunday, Safadi said security services had been monitoring "the activities and the movements" of former heir to the Jordanian throne Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, along with a number of his followers. 

"The initial investigations showed that these activities and movements have reached a stage that directly affects the security and stability of the homeland," Safadi said, calling it a "break from the traditions and values" Jordan's royal family. He said efforts were under way to resolve the crisis within the royal family, but that Prince Hamzah was not being cooperative.