Jordan's king urges US to balance equation in Iraq (Roundup)

Middle East News

Apr 17, 2007, 12:55 GMT

Amman - Jordan's King Abdullah II urged Washington on Tuesday to balance the tilt in Iraq's political equation as a prerequisite to restoring stability to the war-torn country. The king's remarks came during talks with US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates, who arrived in Amman Monday as part of a Middle East tour. A palace statement said the King and Gates reviewed the security situation in Iraq and exerted efforts designed to lift Iraq out of the violence circle. 'All Iraqis must take part in shaping the political system of their country,' the statement noted. 'This is the only guarantee for a better future of Iraq.' King Abdullah II urged US 'support' for the so-called Arab Peace Initiative that was relaunched by the Arab summit conference in Riyadh at the end of March, an official statement said. 'The king underscored the importance of extending support to the Arab plan which reflects the Arabs' real desire in achieving peace with the Israelis and ending decades of the Arab-Israeli conflict,' the statement from the royal court said. The official communiqué did not say whether the king and Gates discussed the prospects of a an imminent US pullout from Iraq, where 150,000 US troops have been deployed since 2003. Nor did it tackle a US-Iranian standoff over Iran's quest for nuclear power. Jordan believes that an uncalculated and hasty US retreat would further exacerbate the security situation in neighbouring Iraq. The king stressed that international and regional actors should make the establishment of an independent Palestinian state a priority, according to the statement. 'The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians remains the core conflict in the region and it is important to advance peace in accordance with a two-state solution,' the statement cited the king as telling Gates. Last month, the 22 Arab states offered Israel an olive branch as they relaunched the peace initiative on the basis of land for peace. The US administration was involved in a flurry of diplomatic activities to push forward the peace process. No progress has been made with Washington refusing to deal with Hamas officials, while Israel is reluctant to say yes to the Arab peace proposal. Palace officials said Gates also discussed defence-related issues with Abdullah. Official sources said that Washington plans to provide Jordan with military assistance including sophisticated weapons and high-tech and counter-terrorism training. Gates later left for Israel for talks with Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Egypt is the planned third leg of his visit to the region. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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