Evening star., 1951-07-20

Britain, already harried by the
1ranian oil crisis. The British put
Abdullah on the Jordan throne
after World War II and supplied
funds to his government and its
strong Arab Legion.
Abdullah, SO, was shot and
killed at the entrance of the
Mosque of Omar in the Old City
|of Jerusalem, the British Foreign
Office said. The government radio
at Amman, in announcing the
death of the bearded leader. said
Abdullah's second son, 35-year-old
Prince Naif, has been named
temporarily as prince regent. The
crown prince, Tallal. 40, has been
under treatment for a nervous
disorder.
Mulla his (Moslem priests)
chanted verses of the Moham-
medan Koran over the Amman
radio in mourning as soon as the
news was announced. Friday is
the Moslem Sabbath.
The king claimed direct descent
from the family of the prophet
Mohammed.
Assassin Shot Dead.
The British Foreign Office said
the assassin was identified as
Mustafa Shakir. He was said to
have been shot dead.
Informed British sources said
Shakir was known terrorist who
had contacts with the ex-Mufti
lof Jerusalem, now living in Cairo.
The ex-Mufti and Abdullah often
had differed on the conduct of the
Palestine war and negotiations
with Israel.
Abdullah's violent death ended
a reign marked by strife. The
king wore silver dagger always
at his belt but presided over his
country with oriental serenity.
I A turbaned little man Swathed
in flowing robes, Abdullah was
constantly thorn in the side
OF other Arab rulers because of his
independence. A stanch friend of
the British. who brought him to
power and subsidized his strategic
ally situated country. he often
elected to play a lone hand in
the complex politics of the Middle
East.
Abdullah joined with the other
Arab states when they made war
ton the budding state of Israel in
May, 1948, war which lasted a
year and never officially has ended
in a peace settlement. He emerged
from the war with large slice Of
what had ben Palestine, including
the old shrine area in the Walled
City of Jerusalem and the City Of
Jericho, stored in the Bible.
Lebanon Minister Slain.
Last Sunday in Amman Riad el
Solh, foreign minister of Lebanon
was killed by Syrian nationalists.
The act touched off riots in
ILabanon. where Mr.. Solh was a
leading political figure. He had
long been an opponent of Abdul
Ilah's Greater Syria ambitions.
Prince Naif already has taken
the oath before Parliament, Am
man radio said.
The Amman radio gave this
version of the assassination:
King Abdullah was on the point
Iof entering the Aqsa Mosque
Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem.
"The killer was hidden behind
la door of the mosque.
He opened fire on the king.
king Abdullah's guards imme-
diately killed the assassin
The Cairo news magazine Akh-
bar Elyom received these details
OF the Staying:
Abdullah was shot several
times" by an unknown man as he
entered Mosque of Omar in Jeru-
salem to pray.
AS Abdullah came through the
door the slayer walked UP to him
and opened fire. Abdullah re-
portedly staggered, took two steps
backward. then fell and died.
Near Holy Sepulcher.
The Mosque of Omar, one of
Islam's greatest shrines, is located
not far from the Christian basilica
of the Holy Sepulcher within the
old Walled City of Jerusalem. One
OF its walls is believed to be a
remnant of Solomon's Temple. It
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