Jordanian King Opposes Iraq Moves

29/07/2002| IslamWeb

Jordan's King Abdullah II finds "somewhat ludicrous" the idea of intervention in Iraq while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has the Middle East in turmoil. Also, despite speculation in Washington and elsewhere, the United States is not sending troops into Jordan to prepare for an invasion of Iraq to oust President Saddam Hussein, Abdullah said Sunday.

"That has not happened, and I don't think will ever happen," Abdullah said on CNN's "Late Edition."

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Joseph Biden, who plans hearings this week about Iraq, said he does not expect imminent military action.

Abdullah, who meets President Bush in Washington on Thursday, said he will not talk with Bush about any plans to attack Iraq. Rather, the king will try to advance the idea of an international conference to find a solution to Israel's bitter, decades-long confrontation with the Palestinians. He also will explain to Bush the humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinians.

"The problem is, trying to take on the question of Iraq with the lack of positive movement on the Israeli-Palestinian, Israeli-Arab track seems, at this point, somewhat ludicrous," the king said.

Bush and other administration officials have talked openly of waging a war against Iraq with the single purpose of achieving a "regime change" by removing President Saddam Hussein. Bush accuses Saddam of supporting terrorists and trying to amass weapons of mass destruction in violation of commitments he made after losing the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

The United States has invited six Iraqi opposition groups to Washington next month for talks about the country's future.

The New York Times reported this month that administration planners planned to launch airstrikes and commando raids from Jordan against neighboring Iraq once Bush gave the word to go. Jordan immediately denied it, even escorting journalists on a tour of a desert air base to knock down it was being upgraded to serve the Americans.

King Abdullah who arrived in Washington from Paris Sunday is due to have talks at the White House with President Bush Monday.

PHOTO CAPTION

French President Jacques Chirac (L) and Jordan's King Abdallah walk in the Elysee Palace prior to a bilateral meeting, July 26, 2002. King Abdallah and President Chirac met at the Elysee Palace to discuss the impasse in the Middle East situation. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/Pool