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Biden to host Jordanian king as royal feud engulfs US ally

In April, Jordanian authorities broke up an alleged plot by the half brother of King Abdullah II to try to take a throne.

By Associated Press

President Joe Biden will host Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on July 19, just months after the detention of his half-brother amid a rare moment of palace intrigue for the close American ally.

The White House says Abdullah, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein will visit with the Bidens to “highlight the enduring and strategic partnership between the United States and Jordan.”

The visit comes after Jordanian authorities in April broke up an alleged plot by the half brother of King Abdullah II to try to take a throne he was once in line to inherit.

Jordanian authorities had said they foiled a “malicious plot” by a former crown princeto destabilize the kingdom with foreign support, contradicting the senior royal’s claims that he was being punished for speaking out against corruption and incompetence.

Prince Hamzah has been silenced, and his purported co-conspirators are on trial behind closed doors in a rare moment of turmoil for one of the strongest Western allies in the region.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says the visit “will be an opportunity to discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East and showcase Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region.”