AMMAN, Jordan, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Jordan appears to have softened its stance on Hamas Politburo chief Khaled Meshaal, a Jordanian-naturalized Palestinian it evicted seven years ago.
Jordan's weekly magazine al-Hadath Monday quoted government spokeswoman Sabah al-Rafii' as saying the authorities had agreed to renew Meshaal's passport after he filed an application with the Jordanian embassy in Qatar two weeks ago.
The move constitutes a significant reversal of Jordan's position towards Meshaal, who was evicted from Amman with three other Hamas officials in 1999.
The Jordanian government then accused Meshaal of breaking the law banning Jordanian nationals of membership in non-Jordanian organizations.
Meshaal was allowed back into Amman and given permission to keep his Jordanian citizenship on the condition that he gave up his post and functions in Hamas.
But Meshaal, who has been based in Damascus for several years, rejected the Jordanian offer and insisted on keeping his Jordanian passport.
The government's decision to renew Meshaal's passport comes a few months after Jordan accused Hamas leadership outside the Palestinian territories of involvement in smuggling weapons through Syria and stocking them in Jordan for use in terrorist attacks on Jordanian territory.
Hamas, which controls the majority of the Palestinian Legislative Council and leads the Palestinian government, rejected the accusations despite Jordan's arrest of 20 Hamas members for involvement in the smuggling.
