Sibling Rivalry

By Lisa Beyer/Amman

KING HUSSEIN's announcement that he has lymphoma has Jordanians speculating about the future. Hussein's brother, CROWN PRINCE HASSAN, 51, has been the designated heir for 33 years and would be expected to succeed unchallenged, but naming his successor is likely to spark friction. Hussein would like Hassan to name one of the King's sons crown prince. The two eldest, ABDULLAH and FEISAL, are considered unqualified because their mother is British. The next son, ALI, was the favorite, but he has fallen out of favor because of his playboy life-style. Next come HAMZAH and HASHEM, the sons of Hussein's current wife, LISA HALABI, known as Queen Noor, who comes from a Lebanese-American family. Lately, Hussein has been grooming Hamzah. The 18-year-old frequently accompanies his father to official functions, and he is being taught how to speak the slang of the Bedouin tribes, an important constituency for the Hashemite dynasty. On Hamzah's 18th birthday, Hussein published a message to his son, reminding him that at that age he had taken on his full duties as King. But Hassan has his own son, RASHID, 19, who was conspicuously by his father's side in the days after Hussein's lymphoma announcement. Hassan's wife, PRINCESS SARVATH, is said to be very ambitious for her son, as is Queen Noor for Hamzah. One palace insider speculates that despite Hussein's wishes, Hassan will name Rashid regent. His ascension could spark challenges from Hamzah or Ali, especially given that Rashid's Pakistani mother, like Abdullah's, is a non-Arab. "Anyone who assumes that the Hashemite family is united or will remain united about the succession issue is making a mistake," says the source.

--By Lisa Beyer/Amman. With reporting by Jamil Hamad/Amman

With reporting by Jamil Hamad/Amman