The expulsion of the Hamas leadership from Jordan 12 years ago was a
political mistake made illegally, Jordanian Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh
said Tuesday during a meeting with trade union leaders, Army Radio reported.
Khasawneh, who took office two weeks ago, said
that expelling Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and his advisors was a
political and legal error.
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was forced to leave Jordan during a crackdown in 1999, when the Amman
offices of Hamas were closed and its top leaders were expelled for
conducting illegal activities.
He was allowed into Jordan to visit his sick mother in September
which marked his second visit to the country since the crackdown in
1999.
Mashaal was permitted to visit his dying father in Amman briefly in
2009. His father's funeral turned into a show of support for Hamas.