King Hussein To Pass Through Idaho Falls

King Hussein of Jordan is scheduled to fly into the Idaho Falls Municipal Airport today on his way to Jackson, Wyo.

Hussein had postponed plans to arrive on Thursday, said Jim Thorsen, the airport’s director of aviation. The Jordanian Embassy would not confirm the earlier plans or the new arrival time Friday.

“For security reasons we don’t know schedules in advance,” embassy spokeswoman Malia Asfour said.

Hussein, 61, flew into Idaho Falls last March, then traveled to Jackson with a group of more than 12 cars. He left behind an entourage of guards who watched over the king’s private jet.

Idaho Falls Police Capt. Bruce Jones said the department was scheduled to help provide security, under the direction of the Secret Service. Last year the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Department and the Idaho State Police also helped provide security.

Asfour said Hussein had delayed a visit to the United States earlier this week, in part because of the crisis over plans to expand an Israeli settlement in east Jerusalem and the recent shooting of seven Israeli children by a Jordanian soldier.

“The bulldozers, the girls being shot by the Jordanian soldier, the ambience of the whole thing” contributed to the decision, Asfour said.

Jordan has been one of the key players in efforts to mend growing rifts between the Israeli government and Palestinian leaders. The two sides have been feuding over newly started construction of Israeli housing on a hill known to Palestinians as Jabal Abu Ghneim and to Israelis as Har Homa.