24 January 2012 Tuesday Hamas leader to make historic visit to Jordan Khaled Meshal's visit is seen as part of Jordan's effort to engage with previously shunned Islamists, who have been gaining ground across the region in Arab Spring uprisings . By The Associated Press Jordan's king will host the leader of Hamas this weekend, Jordan's information minister said Tuesday, his first official visit since his expulsion 13 years ago, another sign that Jordan is seeking a more active role in Mideast diplomacy . The visit is seen as part of Jordan's effort to engage with previously shunned Islamists, who have been gaining ground across the region in the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled dictators in Egypt and Tunisia. Islamists make up the most influential opposition in Jordan and have been gaining strength in recent months, though King Abdullah II has the final say in all matters . Hamas, a militant Islamist Palestinian group, rules the Gaza Strip, but its leader, Khaled
