A feud between prince and king is but one of Jordan’s problems

DON’T BE FOOLED by its nickname. The Hashemite Kingdom of Boredom, aka Jordan, has had its share of palace intrigue. After surviving uprisings and assassination attempts, the late King Hussein used his dying breaths to remove his brother, Hassan, from the line of succession. That made way for Abdullah, Hussein’s son, who has just faced down a plot against the crown, or so the authorities claim. Perhaps 20 people were arrested. Prince Hamzah, a half-brother of the king and former heir apparent, was confined to a palace outside Amman, the capital.