Jordan's King Appoints New Intelligence Director

 Jordan's King Abdullah II during the 2019 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea, in Jordan on April 6, 2019 (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty)
Jordan's King Abdullah II during the 2019 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea, in Jordan on April 6, 2019 (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty)
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Jordan's King Appoints New Intelligence Director

 Jordan's King Abdullah II during the 2019 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea, in Jordan on April 6, 2019 (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty)
Jordan's King Abdullah II during the 2019 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea, in Jordan on April 6, 2019 (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty)

Jordanian King Abdullah II has appointed Major General Ahmed Husni as the new Director of the country’s General Intelligence Department (GID), replacing Lieutenant General Adnan al-Jundi.

The new director, who held major positions in the past, has served as director of Amman’s intelligence at the rank of brigadier general for five years, during which the Kingdom witnessed wide changes in street demands.

Husni took over his duties as part of efforts to accomplish the development of the General Intelligence Service and its structure, within the criteria of enhancing the efficiency of the department, which is the most connected to the constitutional state institutions, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Sources added that the move comes as part of changes that include the nature of work of some state institutions whose performance has recently deteriorated.

Husni had joined the GID in the early 1980s, and sources said he was one of its operations officers. He served as director of the Department of Foreign Affairs before becoming director of Amman’s Intelligence Department and then the most prominent assistant to Jundi.

King Abdullah’s decision comes one week after making major changes within the Royal Court.

He appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh as his communication and coordination adviser, Kamal al-Nasser as the policies and information adviser and Manar al-Dabbas and Mohammed al-Assass as his general advisers.

Political sources in Amman spoke of imminent changes in the leadership of the security services.

“These changes will include restructuring official media sectors to enhance communication with public opinion after the decline in the impact of official media institutions in transferring news and information,” said Jordanian officials.

They explained that the decline is due to the dominance of social media sites which lack accuracy and credibility.



US Launches Airstrikes by Fighter Jets and Ships on Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis

 Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
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US Launches Airstrikes by Fighter Jets and Ships on Yemen’s Iran-Backed Houthis

 Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)
Smoke rises from the site of strikes in Sanaa, Yemen October 4, 2024. (Reuters)

The US military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed militias, US officials confirmed.

Military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations, according to the officials.

Houthi media said seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeidah, a major port city, and the Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base. Four more strikes hit the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes hit the Dhamar province. The Houthi media office also reported three air raids in Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa.

The strikes come just days after the Houthis threatened “escalating military operations” targeting Israel after they apparently shot down a US military drone flying over Yemen. And just last week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American warships.

The militias fired more than a half dozen ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles and two drones at three US ships that were traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but all were intercepted by the Navy destroyers, according to several US officials.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet publicly released.

Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza started last October. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors.

Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels.

The Houthis have maintained that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.