PROTEST BY JORDAN

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28742, 13 November 1958, Page 17

PROTEST BY JORDAN

Interception Of King’s Plane

<N.Z Press ’ Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.40 p.m.) AMMAN, November 12. The Jordan Parliament decided late last night after an all-day debate to protest to the Arab League over the "buzzing” of King Hussein's holiday plane bv Syrian M.I.G. fighters on Monday.

The parliament also decided to invite the Arab League Council to meet in Amman to discust the incident.

r>T he ? rime Minister, Mr Samii Rifai, had told a packed house, earlier that the Government had asked the United Nations Secretary General. Mr Hammarskjold for urgent action by the Securitv Council.

As the Parliament was giving its unanimous backing to the government, the wild day-time rejoicing in Amman, in which the soldiery took part, continued far into the night. The American Associated Press reported that the jets which “buzzed” Parliament Buildings and Amman generally today were two of the 12 Hawker aircraft being delivered to Jordan. The British United Press said that the jets were bought by the United States from Britain under an agreement concluded last June between Jordan and the United States under the offshore purchasing programme.

A Royal Air Force training mission was arriving to train Jordan pilots. The pilots who flew the jets said they came from Cyprus via l Cairo and Aqaba using wing fuel I tanks, rather than fly over Syria. | An official reported that 101 [more were due on Friday—the King's 241 h birthday which he had intended spending with his family in Switzerland—until he was intercepted. Reuter reported that the Premier told today's joint session of parliament that the mattcr i was serious and urgent and the government had to “uphold the State’s prestige, ensure its interests and secure its vital' routes of communication.” Reuter reported from Damascus that a Syrian spokesman alleged that King Hussein's plane committed nine serious violations of aviation regulations for the region. These were hostile acts which could have justified the use of anti-aircraft weapons to force it to land, he said. In Moscow, Tass said that Western news agency versions of yesterday’s incident involving King Hussein wore “an attempt to justify the pitiful position of the King of Jordan, who had become hated by his own people.”

The Beirut newspaper “Al Masa.” as reported by Tass. said that “after the departure oi British troops, the King felt himself insecure and wanted to bring the British occupation troops back by this comedy.”