By Paul Tate
JABAL ZAHOUR - The father of a Jordanian doctor being held on suspicion of involvement in the failed UK terror attacks denied media reports Wednesday that he was friends with the father of the Iraqi national arrested after ramming a jeep into Glasgow airport.
Jamil Asha, whose 26-year-old son Mohammad is currently being questioned by police at Paddington Green in England along with his wife Marwa Dana, 27, said he had never met Abdullah's father and had no Iraqi friends.
Speaking at his home in the Jordanian capital, Mr Asha said: "These reports are all lies. I have never met this man and neither has my son, adding that there are no Iraqis living in his neighbourhood and he had never visited Iraq.
The Times of London on Wednesday quoted intelligence sources as saying that Dr Abdulla had met Mohammed Asha through their fathers, who were friends.
"The two young doctors kept in touch after they came to Britain two or three years ago," the paper said.
Mr Asha said he hopes the whole ordeal will be over by July 12, when his son and wife were due to fly back to Amman.
"We are hoping it will all be cleared up by then and our family will be reunited, he said, adding that his two-year-old grandson, Anas, is currently being looked after in foster home in England.
"If we have to we will fly over to Britain to collect the child we will. We have been in touch with the foreign office and they have assured us he being taken care of."
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Family shocked by son's arrest over UK terror plots
The Asha Family home in east Amman
By Paul Tate
JABAL ZAHOUR, AMMAN - The Asha family home in the Jabal Zuhour district of east Amman is much like any other in this largely rundown working-class neighbourhood, the only distinguishing feature being a large cage to the left of the building's main entrance where the family breeds chickens.
But on Monday this two-storey house became the focus of world media attention after it emerged that a family member had been arrested in connection with the failed terror attacks in London and Glasgow.
Mohammed Jamil Abdel-Qader Asha, a 26-year-old neurologist, was detained along with his wife, Marwa Dana, 27, on the M6 motorway in England after police forced their car to pull over on the hard shoulder.
The couple have been living in the UK for the past couple of years, where Dr Asha is on a scholarship training to become a surgeon. In order to support his wife and two-year-old son, Anas, Dr Asha has also been working at a hospital near his rented property in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
His brother and neighbours in Jordan expressed shock at the news of his arrest, saying he was a hard-working and conscientious person who never exhibited any extremist views.
“Mohammad was only focused on his studies. It is not possible that he could be caught up in anything like this. He was religious but not in a fanatical way," said his 31-year-old brother Ahmad, who is also a doctor and has a Russian wife who is a practsing Christian.
Like many residents of Jabal Zahour, the Asha family is of Palestinian decent and left Hebron in the West Bank in 1948 following the creation of Israel.
The parents, both teachers, spent most of their life in Saudi Arabia, where Mohammad was born, and returned to Jordan in 1990 following the outbreak of the Gulf war when Palestinians were expelled on mass for their perceived support of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
By all accounts Dr Asha was a gifted student from an early age. He excelled in secondary school and was quickly enrolled at the prestigious Jubilee School in Amman, an independent coeducational boarding school for gifted youngsters set up by Queen Noor and the late King Hussein.
It was at this school where he met his wife, Marwa.
The two went on to higher education with Mohammad graduating top of his year with a degree in medicine from the University of Jordan and his wife receiving a degree in Laboratory Science from the Jordan University of Science and Technology.
Students who remember them described the pair as polite but slightly introverted.
"They were from one of the poorer neighbourhoods of Amman and did not mix much with other students, said one of Marwa's former classmates.
Along with his elder brother Ahmad, Dr Asha has two sisters and three brothers, one of whom is also a doctor.
Speaking at the family home, Ahmad said he was "completely shocked" by news of the arrests, as he proudly showed-off certificates of his brother's academic achievements.
"Mohammad was only interested in his studies. He has spent his whole life working to be a surgeon. It is impossible that he could be caught up in something like this," he said.
"He always brags to us about his British friends and sends us photos of himself with them …. We spoke to him three days ago and told us he will be coming on July 12 and asked us if we needed anything from there."
Across the road from the family home, the owner of the local grocery store, Abu Khalid, 62, said he had known Dr Asha for 16 years and always thought of him as polite and hardworking.
"Any father would be proud to have a son like that. I do not believe this young man who I have known all these years is involved in something like this. He was a source of pride for his family.
"He was timid boy and kept to himself. I have never seen him arguing with anyone or expressing any signs of violence."
Another neighbour, 34-year-old truck driver, Ahmad Hussein Afanah, expressed his disbelief at the news.
"It is impossible that he has done it. He was always a very shy boy and well liked by everyone."
Jordanian authorities also voiced surprise about the arrest, saying he had no intelligence record or previous criminal background.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Washington still needs Blair
By Paul Tate
The only possible logic behind former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's appointment as Middle East envoy must be: if you break something then you have a duty to try and put it back together again. How else could a man who has spent the best part of his second term in office waging illegal wars in the Middle East be assigned such a role?
Of course, Blair does have some experience in peacemaking, although arguably much more in warmongering.
He should take some credit for bridging the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland and bringing old adversaries into a power sharing agreement, albeit after the groundwork had already been laid by his predecessor, Conservative Party leader John Major.
But in terms of the Middle East, Blair’s track record has been one of failure on a monumental scale. It was his ill-judged adventures in this region and his growing unpopularity with the British electorate as a result that forced him to hand over the reins of power to Gordon Brown in the first place — something he did only begrudgingly after a long drawn out process.
As well as being discredited among his own people, Blair is loathed in every Arab capital from Baghdad to Rabat.
He is loathed for his part in the illegal invasion of Iraq, for his refusal to speak out against Israeli policies in the occupied territories, and for his backing of Israel’s 2006 assault on Lebanon.
And now this same politician — with an arrogance indicative of his ilk —believes he is the right man to finally bring peace to the Middle East and solve the Israeli-Palestinian question once and for all. Blair aims to put right what Balfour got wrong. So what qualifies him for this post?
It is usual practice when applying for a new job to submit a CV of past achievements relevant to the position, together with a covering letter explaining why you are suited to the job.
But even a man of Blair's considerable persuasive talents would have trouble here. A Blair CV of foreign policy achievements in the Middle East would make interesting reading indeed.
One wonders whether he would attempt to omit his role as Bush's cheerleader for the Iraq war; and his use of fake evidence about weapons of mass destruction? How could he explain how he managed to take a stable state and turn it into a hotbed of extremism and sectarianism? How could a man applying for the position of peace envoy explain that his policies over the past four years had resulted in the deaths of 650,000 Iraqi civilians?
It seems the Blair philosophy is that peace can only be obtained through war. He said as much during the Lebanon crisis of 2006 when he refused to call for a cessation of violence on the grounds that it was “premature”. So the bombing continued and hundreds more people died because the new man of peace thought more deaths would increase the chances of a permanent solution.
Of course, we all know now that allowing this conflict to continue merely escalated sectarian tensions in Lebanon which continue to this day.
But the reality is that Blair did not have to submit his CV for his new post as peace envoy. His old master in Washington had already seen to it that the position was his.
And this is the rub of the matter. Blair may have handed over the UK premiership on Wednesday to Gordon Brown, but George W. Bush is not finished with him yet.
Friday-Saturday, June 29-30, 2007
The only possible logic behind former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's appointment as Middle East envoy must be: if you break something then you have a duty to try and put it back together again. How else could a man who has spent the best part of his second term in office waging illegal wars in the Middle East be assigned such a role?
Of course, Blair does have some experience in peacemaking, although arguably much more in warmongering.
He should take some credit for bridging the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland and bringing old adversaries into a power sharing agreement, albeit after the groundwork had already been laid by his predecessor, Conservative Party leader John Major.
But in terms of the Middle East, Blair’s track record has been one of failure on a monumental scale. It was his ill-judged adventures in this region and his growing unpopularity with the British electorate as a result that forced him to hand over the reins of power to Gordon Brown in the first place — something he did only begrudgingly after a long drawn out process.
As well as being discredited among his own people, Blair is loathed in every Arab capital from Baghdad to Rabat.
He is loathed for his part in the illegal invasion of Iraq, for his refusal to speak out against Israeli policies in the occupied territories, and for his backing of Israel’s 2006 assault on Lebanon.
And now this same politician — with an arrogance indicative of his ilk —believes he is the right man to finally bring peace to the Middle East and solve the Israeli-Palestinian question once and for all. Blair aims to put right what Balfour got wrong. So what qualifies him for this post?
It is usual practice when applying for a new job to submit a CV of past achievements relevant to the position, together with a covering letter explaining why you are suited to the job.
But even a man of Blair's considerable persuasive talents would have trouble here. A Blair CV of foreign policy achievements in the Middle East would make interesting reading indeed.
One wonders whether he would attempt to omit his role as Bush's cheerleader for the Iraq war; and his use of fake evidence about weapons of mass destruction? How could he explain how he managed to take a stable state and turn it into a hotbed of extremism and sectarianism? How could a man applying for the position of peace envoy explain that his policies over the past four years had resulted in the deaths of 650,000 Iraqi civilians?
It seems the Blair philosophy is that peace can only be obtained through war. He said as much during the Lebanon crisis of 2006 when he refused to call for a cessation of violence on the grounds that it was “premature”. So the bombing continued and hundreds more people died because the new man of peace thought more deaths would increase the chances of a permanent solution.
Of course, we all know now that allowing this conflict to continue merely escalated sectarian tensions in Lebanon which continue to this day.
But the reality is that Blair did not have to submit his CV for his new post as peace envoy. His old master in Washington had already seen to it that the position was his.
And this is the rub of the matter. Blair may have handed over the UK premiership on Wednesday to Gordon Brown, but George W. Bush is not finished with him yet.
Friday-Saturday, June 29-30, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Jordan braces for heatwave
Electricity demand to reach record levels
By Paul Tate
AMMAN — A huge increase in demand for electricity to power fans and air-conditioning systems is expected over the weekend as the Kingdom faces its first heatwave of the summer.
A hot mass coming from the Arabian Peninsula is expected to reach the country on Friday, raising temperatures in Amman to around 39ºC.
The heatwave, which is expected to last until the middle of next week, will peak on Sunday with temperatures soaring as high as 41ºC, said Abdul Halim Abu Hazim, acting director of the Jordan Meteorology Department.
The official denied media reports that it will be the hottest in 65 years, adding that the highest recorded June temperature in the capital was in 1942 at 42.8ºC.
The National Electric Power Company insisted yesterday that there was no risk of blackouts resulting from an upsurge in demand to power fans and air-conditioning systems.
Khaled Said, the company’s acting managing director, said: “We are well-prepared for events such as this and are not expecting any problems. Our generation units’ availability is very high and can be operated immediately if required.”
Power demand is expected to peak on Sunday as citizens return to their workplaces, many of which, unlike homes, are fitted with air-conditioning systems.
“We are expecting output to reach a record 1,900 megawatts,” said Said, adding that average is usually around 1,700 megawatts.
Supermarkets yesterday said they were prepared for any potential power failures and had stockpiled extra supplies of cold water and drinks.
“All our branches have diesel-powered generators so we are well-prepared for such conditions,” said Mohammad Shteiwi, manager of the Amman Mall branch of C-Town.
The general manager of Nestle Jordan, Rasem Dabbas, said the company had doubled its capacity of bottled water in preparation for the hot weather front.
“We are expecting a huge surge over the next week with our daily sales of bottles rising from 20,000 to 28,000,” he said.
Heatwaves claim thousands of lives each year, killing more people than floods, tornadoes and hurricanes combined.
The World Meteorological Organisation estimates that the number of heat-related deaths across the globe will double in the next 20 years, with the elderly most at risk.
By Paul Tate
AMMAN — A huge increase in demand for electricity to power fans and air-conditioning systems is expected over the weekend as the Kingdom faces its first heatwave of the summer.
A hot mass coming from the Arabian Peninsula is expected to reach the country on Friday, raising temperatures in Amman to around 39ºC.
The heatwave, which is expected to last until the middle of next week, will peak on Sunday with temperatures soaring as high as 41ºC, said Abdul Halim Abu Hazim, acting director of the Jordan Meteorology Department.
The official denied media reports that it will be the hottest in 65 years, adding that the highest recorded June temperature in the capital was in 1942 at 42.8ºC.
The National Electric Power Company insisted yesterday that there was no risk of blackouts resulting from an upsurge in demand to power fans and air-conditioning systems.
Khaled Said, the company’s acting managing director, said: “We are well-prepared for events such as this and are not expecting any problems. Our generation units’ availability is very high and can be operated immediately if required.”
Power demand is expected to peak on Sunday as citizens return to their workplaces, many of which, unlike homes, are fitted with air-conditioning systems.
“We are expecting output to reach a record 1,900 megawatts,” said Said, adding that average is usually around 1,700 megawatts.
Supermarkets yesterday said they were prepared for any potential power failures and had stockpiled extra supplies of cold water and drinks.
“All our branches have diesel-powered generators so we are well-prepared for such conditions,” said Mohammad Shteiwi, manager of the Amman Mall branch of C-Town.
The general manager of Nestle Jordan, Rasem Dabbas, said the company had doubled its capacity of bottled water in preparation for the hot weather front.
“We are expecting a huge surge over the next week with our daily sales of bottles rising from 20,000 to 28,000,” he said.
Heatwaves claim thousands of lives each year, killing more people than floods, tornadoes and hurricanes combined.
The World Meteorological Organisation estimates that the number of heat-related deaths across the globe will double in the next 20 years, with the elderly most at risk.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Jordan River among world’s 100 most endangered sites
By Paul Tate
AMMAN — A lack of cooperation and political will among regional states is hampering efforts to address the worsening ecological condition of the Jordan River, environmentalists said on Sunday.
According to Friends of the Earth Middle East, a regional environmental organisation of Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians, poor regional water management has led to the complete demise of one of the world’s most famous rivers.
The comments came in response to the lower Jordan River’s inclusion last week in the top 100 most “Endangered Cultural Heritage Sites” by a leading international watchdog.
Announced every two years, the World Monuments Fund’s list aims to galvanise international public attention on threatened cultural sites across the globe.
“The watch list of the World Monuments Fund is now sounding the alarm bell loud and clear to all those who care about the River Jordan,” Mira Edelstein, the organisation’s Tel Aviv campaigner for the rehabilitation of the river said in a press statement.
According to the organisation, “90 per cent of the river’s natural flow has been diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria for domestic and agricultural use, with sewage flowing in its place. The region’s current policies treat the river as a backyard dumping ground.”
Munqeth Mehyar, the organisation’s chairperson and Jordanian director, described the river’s inclusion in the list as “expected”.
“We have been campaigning for a long time now on this issue and we welcome this news. It is good publicity for our cause and may help us finally focus the attention of the world on the gravity of the situation.”
The activist said past efforts to lobby the respective governments had proved fruitless, despite the fact that both Israel and Jordan have signed agreements to preserve the environment along their shared border.
Under Article 18 of the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty, both parties pledged to cooperate to conserve natural resources and protect biodiversity, including the “ecological rehabilitation of the Jordan River” and the environmental protection of water resources.
But Mehyar said the reality is that both governments are happy to shift the blame.
“When we talk to Jordanian officials they tell us if the Israeli side gives the go ahead, then we will follow suit and vice versa — meanwhile, nothing is done and the two countries continue to dump their waste into the river and divert water for agriculture.”
No one at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation was available to comment.
Mehyar said a comprehensive regional solution is now needed which encourages farmers to grow less water-intensive crops while focusing more efforts on exploiting the region’s tourism potential.
“The governments should have programmes in place to educate farmers on the benefits of growing drought-resistant crops like dates instead of continuing to use huge amounts of water growing citrus, tomatoes and bananas,” he said.
Despite the economic disadvantages, regional governments continue to subsidise farmers who grow water intensive crops.
Israel currently uses 65 per cent of its freshwater supplies for agriculture, which accounts for just 2 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, he said.
Similarly, Jordan’s agricultural sector contributes a mere 8 per cent to its GDP but uses 70 per cent of available water resources.
Mehyar said in cases where Jordanian farmers had diversified their crops, they had not only significantly reduced water usage but had increased revenues.
“We have a clear model to follow here, but sadly, officials have failed to convince other farmers to follow suit.”
After years of receiving no response from the concerned governments, two weeks ago the organisation sent a joint letter to the ministries of water and irrigation in both Jordan and Israel but have so far received no response.
The environmental organisation now hopes the inclusion of the river on the World Monuments Fund’s 100 most endangered sites will spur regional states into taking action.
“It is sad that only through international pressure will our governments act to rehabilitate this valley of cultural and natural heritage,” said Edelstein.
Political parties to fair badly in municipal elections
By Paul Tate
AMMAN — High voter turnout is expected in next month’s municipal elections with independent candidates winning out over political parties, according to a survey released on Sunday.
The poll, conducted by the Jordan Centre for Social Research, found that voter participation in some governorates will reach as high as 70 per cent.
It also revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents intend to vote for independent candidates as opposed to representatives of political parties, consistent with voting patterns in previous national elections.
The survey sampled a total of 1,500 individuals aged 18 years and above in the municipalities of Irbid, Karak and Zarqa. Questions ranged from the level of satisfaction with public services to the degree of interaction between constituents and their representatives.
According to pollster Musa Shteiwi, the renewed interest on the part of constituents in the July 31 elections is directly related to the recently approved Municipalities Law, which paved the way for the first fully elected councils in eight years.
The legislation, however, does not extend to Amman, which will continue to have an appointed mayor and half-appointed municipal council as was the case under the old law.
Shteiwi said this resulted in voter apathy, with participation in both Irbid and Zarqa falling below 50 per cent in 2003, while Karak recorded a 56 per cent turnout.
“The new law is a positive development. It restored the right of citizens to choose their representatives, lowered the voting age from 19 to 18 and provided a 20 per cent quota for women,” he said.
Voter turnout in Irbid is expected to reach 71 per cent next month, followed by Zarqa (68 per cent) and Karak (61 per cent), according to the poll.
However, despite renewed interest on the part of citizens, the survey revealed a general dissatisfaction about the performance of elected representatives and political parties.
Almost two-thirds of respondents in the three municipalities said they intend to vote for independent candidates, citing reasons relating to family and tribal affiliations.
Shteiwi said the findings do not bode well for the country’s transition to democracy.
“Citizens vote for independent candidates because the current political parties are weak and their ideologies are too narrow. Unless these parties merge and become more representative, the future doesn’t look good,” he said.
Less than 10 per cent of respondents said they would vote for a political party. Out of these, 64 per cent in Zarqa said they would vote for the Islamic Action Front (IAF), as compared to 45 per cent in Karak and 43 per cent in Irbid.
Most of the country’s 34 political parties, apart from IAF, which has 15 deputies in the Lower House, have less than 500 members.
The survey also revealed the absence of a general participatory culture resulting from a lack of accountability on the part of elected representatives.
More than 90 per cent of respondents in the three municipalities said they had never been contacted by a council member once elected.
“The level of contact and/or interaction between constituents and their representatives is generally low, with contacts being one way, i.e. constituents contacting their elected representatives,” said the survey, adding that once elected into office the representatives “neglect regular contact.”
The poll was carried out with the support of the International Republican Institute.
AMMAN — High voter turnout is expected in next month’s municipal elections with independent candidates winning out over political parties, according to a survey released on Sunday.
The poll, conducted by the Jordan Centre for Social Research, found that voter participation in some governorates will reach as high as 70 per cent.
It also revealed that almost two-thirds of respondents intend to vote for independent candidates as opposed to representatives of political parties, consistent with voting patterns in previous national elections.
The survey sampled a total of 1,500 individuals aged 18 years and above in the municipalities of Irbid, Karak and Zarqa. Questions ranged from the level of satisfaction with public services to the degree of interaction between constituents and their representatives.
According to pollster Musa Shteiwi, the renewed interest on the part of constituents in the July 31 elections is directly related to the recently approved Municipalities Law, which paved the way for the first fully elected councils in eight years.
The legislation, however, does not extend to Amman, which will continue to have an appointed mayor and half-appointed municipal council as was the case under the old law.
Shteiwi said this resulted in voter apathy, with participation in both Irbid and Zarqa falling below 50 per cent in 2003, while Karak recorded a 56 per cent turnout.
“The new law is a positive development. It restored the right of citizens to choose their representatives, lowered the voting age from 19 to 18 and provided a 20 per cent quota for women,” he said.
Voter turnout in Irbid is expected to reach 71 per cent next month, followed by Zarqa (68 per cent) and Karak (61 per cent), according to the poll.
However, despite renewed interest on the part of citizens, the survey revealed a general dissatisfaction about the performance of elected representatives and political parties.
Almost two-thirds of respondents in the three municipalities said they intend to vote for independent candidates, citing reasons relating to family and tribal affiliations.
Shteiwi said the findings do not bode well for the country’s transition to democracy.
“Citizens vote for independent candidates because the current political parties are weak and their ideologies are too narrow. Unless these parties merge and become more representative, the future doesn’t look good,” he said.
Less than 10 per cent of respondents said they would vote for a political party. Out of these, 64 per cent in Zarqa said they would vote for the Islamic Action Front (IAF), as compared to 45 per cent in Karak and 43 per cent in Irbid.
Most of the country’s 34 political parties, apart from IAF, which has 15 deputies in the Lower House, have less than 500 members.
The survey also revealed the absence of a general participatory culture resulting from a lack of accountability on the part of elected representatives.
More than 90 per cent of respondents in the three municipalities said they had never been contacted by a council member once elected.
“The level of contact and/or interaction between constituents and their representatives is generally low, with contacts being one way, i.e. constituents contacting their elected representatives,” said the survey, adding that once elected into office the representatives “neglect regular contact.”
The poll was carried out with the support of the International Republican Institute.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Organ traffickers prey on poor
By Paul Tate
AMMAN- An increasing number of Jordanians are being lured into selling their kidneys as part of the growing illegal international trade in human organs, a top health official revealed on Tuesday.
Doctor Moumen Hadidi, spokesperson for the recently established National Commission to Promote Organ Donation, said a total of 81 cases of trafficking have been uncovered by authorities over recent months.
The official said authorities are working hard to track down brokers who prey on poor people in some of the Kingdom’s impoverished governorates.
Last month police arrested several men for allegedly enticing citizens in Ajloun and Salt into selling their kidney’s to clients outside the country, said Hadidi, adding that all of those arrested were Jordanians.
"These people work on a commission basis and prey on poor people in order to convince them to sell their kidneys and then facilitate their travel to a second country where the operations are performed," he told The Jordan Times.
Hadidi denied the increase in cases was directly related to poverty, but admitted that the profile of the typical donor is poor, unemployed and unskilled.
"Most of the donors are between the ages of twenty and forty years and are lured by the chance of making quick money," he said, adding that the going rate for a kidney is around $3,000.
The donation or selling and trading of organs for profit is strictly banned in Jordan with traffickers and brokers facing up to five years in jail and a JD20,000 fine.
Hadidi said the surgery to remove donated organs is carried out in a second country, and that brokers arrange all travel details and expenses.
He would not specify which country, but both Egypt and Pakistan are known to be regional hubs for the illicit trade due to social inequality and high poverty rates.
According the World Health Organisation (WHO), the trade in human organs is increasing globally, fuelled by growing demand as well as unscrupulous traffickers.
In Europe alone, there are currently 120 000 patients on dialysis treatment and about 40,000 people waiting for a kidney, a report by the European Parliamentary Assembly stated.
“There are no reliable data on organ trafficking — or indeed transplantation activity in general — but brokers reportedly charge between US$100,000 and US$200,000 to organise a transplant for wealthy patients”, according to the WHO.
A Ministry of Health official told The Jordan Times that a growing awareness about the seriousness of the problem led to the setting up of the commission, which in addition to investigating suspected cases has also started an awareness campaign to encourage Jordanians to donate their organs after death.
“About eight hundred people die every year in Jordan in road accidents. We should be encouraging the relatives of these victims to donate the organs of their loves ones. This way we can begin to reduce the demand,” said Hadidi.
AMMAN- An increasing number of Jordanians are being lured into selling their kidneys as part of the growing illegal international trade in human organs, a top health official revealed on Tuesday.
Doctor Moumen Hadidi, spokesperson for the recently established National Commission to Promote Organ Donation, said a total of 81 cases of trafficking have been uncovered by authorities over recent months.
The official said authorities are working hard to track down brokers who prey on poor people in some of the Kingdom’s impoverished governorates.
Last month police arrested several men for allegedly enticing citizens in Ajloun and Salt into selling their kidney’s to clients outside the country, said Hadidi, adding that all of those arrested were Jordanians.
"These people work on a commission basis and prey on poor people in order to convince them to sell their kidneys and then facilitate their travel to a second country where the operations are performed," he told The Jordan Times.
Hadidi denied the increase in cases was directly related to poverty, but admitted that the profile of the typical donor is poor, unemployed and unskilled.
"Most of the donors are between the ages of twenty and forty years and are lured by the chance of making quick money," he said, adding that the going rate for a kidney is around $3,000.
The donation or selling and trading of organs for profit is strictly banned in Jordan with traffickers and brokers facing up to five years in jail and a JD20,000 fine.
Hadidi said the surgery to remove donated organs is carried out in a second country, and that brokers arrange all travel details and expenses.
He would not specify which country, but both Egypt and Pakistan are known to be regional hubs for the illicit trade due to social inequality and high poverty rates.
According the World Health Organisation (WHO), the trade in human organs is increasing globally, fuelled by growing demand as well as unscrupulous traffickers.
In Europe alone, there are currently 120 000 patients on dialysis treatment and about 40,000 people waiting for a kidney, a report by the European Parliamentary Assembly stated.
“There are no reliable data on organ trafficking — or indeed transplantation activity in general — but brokers reportedly charge between US$100,000 and US$200,000 to organise a transplant for wealthy patients”, according to the WHO.
A Ministry of Health official told The Jordan Times that a growing awareness about the seriousness of the problem led to the setting up of the commission, which in addition to investigating suspected cases has also started an awareness campaign to encourage Jordanians to donate their organs after death.
“About eight hundred people die every year in Jordan in road accidents. We should be encouraging the relatives of these victims to donate the organs of their loves ones. This way we can begin to reduce the demand,” said Hadidi.
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