Hard to know what involvement of members of the RF signifies. It could mean that Prince Hamzah really is concerned, as he says, about corruption and so forth. On the other hand, he would not be the first prince to seize an opportunity to try to grab the throne to which he believes he is the rightful heir from a half-brother.

Undoubtedly, though, the Jordanian regime remains on shaky ground and will remain so for as long as it remains a dictatorship rooted in minority rule and the security services. Interestingly, this coup attempt seems to have been carried out by East Bankers, who are the monarchy's traditional base of support.