AMMAN, May 1: King Hussein of Jordan has decided to grant refuge to Mussa Abu Marzuk, political leader of the Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas, and convinced Washington to free him, a senior official said on Wednesday.

``King Hussein wants this gesture to defuse a crisis sparked by the situation of Abu Marzuk whom Israel asked the United States to extradite,'' he said.

The official, asking not to be named, said Jordan's decision to take in Abu Marzuk set a precedent since the Palestinian is the holder of a Yemeni passport and not Jordanian.

``The personal efforts of the king and his credibility within the US administration have been fruitful. The Hamas official will soon be released by Washington and will be able to come to Jordan,'' he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.