His Majesty King Abdullah Of Jordan's Page

By Adel Darwish

YOUNG KING ABDALLAH II of Jordan moved decisively to secure his grip on power. In ten days he made swift changes in the army, the government and the court, indicating his desire for modernisation and change in harmony with the wishes of his father.

Flexing his political muscle for the first time since ascending to the throne, the 37 king ordered four senior generals to retire in a sweeping reshuffle of the Army. The King's decision to act while the official 40-day mourning period for the late King was still under way was indicative of Abdallah's determination to shore up his strong support inside the Armed Forces, the bedrock of the ruling Hashemite dynasty.

Army changes followed the circulation of leaflets supporting his 51-year-old Uncle Prince Hassan, who was deposed as Crown Prince by King Hussein in one of his last executive acts before succumbing to lymphatic cancer.

On the same day, Abdallah appointed Prince Hassan to continue as head of Jordan's Higher Council of Science and Technology. The King also publicly praised his uncle's efforts ''in building national institutions'' since being appointed Crown Prince in 1965.

By flattering his uncle, King Abdallah was securing both family unity and his future co-operation as an adviser. Prince Hassan has a wide experience in dealing with Israel, the west and the Arab world.

Among army officers sent to early retirement were officers loyal to Prince Hassan like: Major-General Tahseen Shrdum who had been tipped to become Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Eid Rweidan, head of military intelligence, Hamzeh al-Azb, head of personnel, and Mohammad Abbadi, the head of administration.

Significantly Field Marshal Abdul-Hafez al-Kaabneh, whom Prince Hassan had tried earlier to dismiss, stayed on in his crucial post as Joint Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

It was General al-Kaabneh who had objected to Prince Hassan's changes in the army and considered his wife princess Savnath's redecoration of the Royal during King Hussein's ailment as an act of treason. He informed Prince Abdallah who in turn told his father, leading to Hassan's demise.

Within a week of securing the army's loyalty, King Abdallah moved again to stamp his authority on the running of the kingdom by changing the government and appointing key new ministers including the prime minister and the chief of the royal court.

Abdallah simply promoted those loyal to the late King and to himself, rather than officials regarded as in the camp of Prince Hassan.

Fayez Tarawneh, the Prime Minister appointed while Hassan was regent last August, was replaced by 60-year-old Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh, a long-time proponent of King Hussein's liberal outlook, an experienced administrator and supporter of Jordan's 1994 peace treaty with Israel, indicated the kings commitment to peace and liberalisation of economy and society.

The new Cabinet included technocrats and liberals, and Abdallah urged it to pursue reform and better ties with the U.S., Israel and Gulf Arabs. A day later Jordan's embassy in Kuwait was reopened after it has been closed since 1990 when King Hussein, following the wishes of his subjects, refused to side with the allied forces gathered against Saddam Hussein.

The influence of both King Hussein's widow American-born Queen Noor and the young Queen Rania, both are passionate champions of women's rights, was evident in the changes.

Jordanian feminists expressed optimism that the first government formed by King Abdallah will give women a higher public profile and amend discriminatory legislation.

They took heart in the appointment of Rima Khalaf as Jordan's first ever woman deputy premier, who also takes charge of the important planning portfolio in the government of Mr Rawabdeh.

Referred to women as ''a basic pillar of the country's development,'' in a strongly-worded letter to Mr and his 22-member team, King Abdallah urged the Cabinet to work hard to boost the role of women by amending any laws that disadvantage women.

For years Jordanian feminists have called for amendments to laws with social security, citizenship and retirement as well as those that give reduced sentences to males who kill their female relatives on suspicion of involvement in immoral relations. A campaign championed by Queen Noor.

A close confidant of Queen Noor, former Prime Minister, Abdul-Karim al-Kabariti, was named a new chief of the royal court, traditionally the power behind the throne in the Jordanian hierarchy. This is more significant in terms of power politics and of particular importance because of the 37-year-old King's youth and inexperience of world diplomacy and domestic politics.

Mr al-Kabariti is known as an enemy of prince Hassan and a politician whose l996-97 Government was renowned both for its criticism of President Saddam Hussein of Iraq and its determination to press economic reforms in the face of public protests. Clashes with Prince Hassan were one reason for Mr Kabariti's dismissal last year, but at the time senior Jordanians predicted that, should Prince Hassan ever be bypassed, he would make a comeback.

Prince Hamzah, King Hussein's eldest son by Queen Noor, was named as heir in King Abdullah's first decree - as requested by the late King on his deathbed. His American-born mother has been prominent in the various mourning ceremonies and she is now expected to stay in a position of influence, unlike Prince Hassan's wife, the unpopular Princess Sarvath, who was Queen Noor's main enemy at court.

Two days later, King Abdallah moved again to reshuffle his court aides, bringing in advisors known for their loyalty to his late father, King Hussein.

Palace sources, however, say the changes were planned before Hussein's death on Feb. 7 and were intended to bring in new blood.

Abdullah named his cousin, Prince Talal, as his National Security Council adviser. Abdullah Touqan, a member of the Jordanian delegation that negotiated the peace treaty with, was named as scientific advisor and assistant to Talal at the Security Council.

Court sources said Abdullah also designated two other aides: Adnan Abu-Odeh is to become the king's political advisor -a job he held for more than two decades under Hussein. Nabil Ammari, who was planning minister in the outgoing Cabinet, will become economic adviser.

This completes the sweeping moves aimed at ridding the hierarchy of loyalists to Prince Hassan and secure Abdallah's position.

The manner in which Abdallah moved, says a veteran western diplomat in Amman, shows that he is very much a chip of the old block. '' King Hussein would have exactly taken the same steps in a similar order,'' the veteran diplomat said.