Middle East News
US embassy in Jordan denies reported meeting with tribal leaders
By DPA
Mar 7, 2007, 6:07 GMT

Amman - The US embassy in Jordan has denied as 'baseless' a report in the local press about a meeting between Ambassador David Hale and Jordanian tribal leaders to urge them 'not to forge alliances' with Islamists in upcoming general elections, a newspaper reported Wednesday.

'The remarks attributed to the US ambassador during the alleged meeting are baseless simply because the meeting did not take place altogether,' the pro-government daily al-Rai quoted an embassy statement as saying.

'The US ambassador and the embassy do not take stances over internal political affairs,' the statement added.

According to the report published by the al-Diyar newspaper on February 25, Hale urged the Jordanian tribal dignitaries 'to foil any attempts by Islamists to forge alliances with tribes in the forthcoming municipal and parliamentary elections.'

The report drew sharp reactions from the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Salem Falahat, who accused the US embassy of 'meddling in Jordanian internal affairs' and trying to 'influence politics' in the country.

A lawmaker belonging to the Islamic Action Front, the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, also filed a question to the government about the alleged meeting.