President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi voiced his "full support to the latest decisions his brother, King Abdullah II, has taken to preserve the security and stability of the kingdom," Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said. In a phone call with the king on Sunday, El-Sisi voiced Egypt's full solidarity with the government and people of Jordan. This comes only a day after Jordan has arrested several citizens, citing "security reasons". This includes Sharif Hassan Bin Zaid, a member of the royal family; and Bassem Awadallah, a former finance minister. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also accused Prince Hamzah, the country's former crown prince, of being part of a "malicious plot" that threatened national security. Prince Hamzah said in a videotaped statement he is under house arrest. El-Sisi, during the phone call, was keen to make sure the situation in the sisterly Jordan is stable, Rady said. "The Jordanian king, for his part, voiced his sincere appreciation for the solidarity and support of [President El-Sis], which embodies the depth and strength of the historic relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples," Rady said. Safadi, also the deputy prime minister, told reporters that some 14-16 people are under arrest, in addition to Awadallah and Bin Zaid, who are close to Prince Hamzah, AP reported. Safadi said the plot was foiled and totally contained at "zero hour" and investigations are ongoing. He accused Prince Hamzah and others of conspiring with foreign parties without naming the countries allegedly involved. Intelligence agents had been observing the plotters for some time and raised their concerns with the king, Safadi said. Prince Hamzah was asked to "stop all these activities and movements that threaten Jordan and its stability," but he refused, Safadi added.
