MBC: Abdullah: the Hashimite family has no ambitions to ruling Iraq
Jordan-Iraq, Politics, 10/12/2002

The Jordanian King Abdullah on Friday denied any Hashimite ambitions in ruling Baghdad. This was expressed in an interview with the MBC TV during which he directed clear threats against the parties which he said have foreign links. He, in this regard, noted the Communist Party, the Baath party and the Islamic Labor Front.

In a remarkable position, King Abdullah said that in case the war against Iraq will lead to halting the Iraqi oil supplies to Jordan, there should be "an international arrangement to ensure providing Jordan with oil."

The Hashimite royal family ruled Iraq between 1921- 1958. Just few weeks ago, the former Jordanian crown prince Hassan, the cousin of the Jordanian King Abdullah, took part in the Iraqi opposition conference which discuss the options in an aftermath of Iraq's president Saddam Hussein.

In the TV interview, the Jordanian King said " I am the head of this ( Hashimite) family and I frankly say that the Hashimite family has no ambitions to return back to ruling Iraq, and there should be no anyone inthis family that thinks the opposite, he would only represents himself," in an implicit remark to prince Hassan.

He stressed that Jordan "does not think of carrying any role in the brotherly Iraq," adding "Jordan never was and will not be the base for any forces trying to attack an Arab country." He added "The American administration knows our position very well." He also stressed that in case of the war, "Jordan will not receive any Iraqi refugees or others, and we will not permit any camps" for Iraqis or other nationalities. He also indicated the possibility that Israel might use the Iraqi war to expel the Palestinians from their territories. He said it is the duty of Jordan to support the Palestinians on their territories and therefore "our borders will be completely closed against any attempt to push the Palestinians out or to expel them."

At the internal level, the Jordanian King criticized the political parties which have "non- Jordanian links or receiving financing from abroad, stressing that this situation is not acceptable and they need to abide by the slogan of 'Jordan first.'" He indicated "to have parties having non- Jordanian affiliation or taking their directives and finance from outside Jordan is absolutely not acceptable." He gave an example of the "the Communist Party in Iraq," noting it is "branch of the communist party in many of the world countries," and the Baath Party in Jordan "as a branch of the Baath Party in Iraq and Syria." The Jordanian king added that the Islamic Labor Front party emerged from the Muslim brothers group and has links to Islamic parties in several countries in the world, noting that "However, the Islamic trend in Jordan and the Muslim Brothers in particular are careful to maintain Jordan's interests."

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