King Abdullah hopes Iraq attack will be quick, with minimum pain
Jordan-Iraq, Politics, 1/27/2003

The Jordanian King Abdullah II stressed that it is too late to reach a political solution to the Iraqi crisis, while his prime minister Ali Abul Ragheb remarked that Jordan may try to intercept any Iraqi Skud missiles fired against Israel in case an American war against Iraq is launched.

In a speech he delivered before the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Jordanian King said "It is too late to reach a diplomatic solution. It will be very difficult to find a peaceful solution for the crisis." The Jordanian king who met with the the US Secretary of State at a dinner banquet held on the sideline of Davos forum said "everything might happen. I hope it will happen quickly and will only cause minimum pain." He added "I think that the mechanism is ready. I think it is very difficult to find out a dialogue and a peaceful solution to get out of the crisis and that needs a miracle."

The Jordanian King who also met in Davos with the former Israeli former Minister Shimon Peres considered that settling the conflict in the Middle East is a process that needs courageous diplomacy and also characterized by clear commitment from the USA.

Meantime, Abul Ragheb said that the USA did not ask Jordan to carry out any role in the context of this war. He renewed the stress that Jordan will not be used as a base to launch attacks and will not permit its airspace or lands to be used against Iraq.

In a joint press conference with German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joschka Fischer, the Jordanian premier said "nobody asked us to take any measure to support the US in such a military action." He added "we have clarified our position towards this issue on that we will not take part in any military action against Iraq and our lands will not, nor our airspace (be) a place for such an act, and simultaneously we will not permit the use of our lands or airspace nor from the east ( Iraq), or form the West ( Israel)."

Previous Stories:
  Abul Ragheb: Jordan will not take part in any military act against Iraq   (1/21/2003)
  Jordanian King is concerned over the Palestinian question; chances to avoid the war becomes little   (1/18/2003)
  Jordanian parties ask King Abdullah for national dialogue on elections   (1/8/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search