• Published 00:00 07.09.07
  • Latest update 00:00 07.09.07

Jordan's Abdullah: U.S. must ensure success of Mideast conference

King Abdullah II says U.S.-sponsored peace conference must tackle all outstanding issues between Israel, Palestinians.

By The Associated Press Tags: US Jordan king Jordan

Jordan's King Abdullah II told the top American official on the Middle East Thursday that the U.S. must work hard to guarantee the success of an international peace conference scheduled for November.

Abdullah told Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs David Welch, who arrived here unexpectedly, that America must work hard to guarantee that the upcoming conference would culminate in substantial progress in the peace process, the official Petra news agency reported.

He went on to say that the U.S.-sponsored conference must tackle all outstanding issues between Palestinians and Israelis, foremost among them are those pertaining to final status.

The king was referring to core issues that have tormented Mideast peacemakers for decades, such as Palestinian refugees, final borders and the fate of Jerusalem.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have for the first time addressed such issues in depth at a meeting in Jerusalem - a move that represented an important building block for the fall peace conference.

Abdullah has embraced U.S. President George W. Bush's call for convening the fall meeting, saying it provided a rare opportunity for resuming Palestinian-Israeli peace talks and was in line with an Arab peace plan that envisions an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The conference must lay out a working plan with a specific timetable, Abdullah said.

Jordan has repeatedly called for a mechanism to measure progress in Mideast peace negotiation so that both Palestinians and Israelis would not shun their peace obligations.

Earlier this week, Abdullah hosted Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and also toured France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in a fresh bid of his own to energize the peace process.

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  • 18. 0 0
    Peace
    • don burrows
    • 08.09.07
    • 15:15

    Peace will come when Jesus Christ returns which is really soon...The Jews and Arabs are going to be enlightened!

  • 17. 0 0
  • 16. 0 0
    THE REAL QUESTION
    • Mark of Lewiston
    • 07.09.07
    • 18:39

    The real question is whether the US has sufficient influence to assure anything. The Bush administration has been spectacularly unsuccessful in influencing Israel in any issue important to Palestinians, except maybe for getting Israel to sit in the same room with them together. The Bush administration has been spectacularly unsucessful in any issue important to Israelis, except maybe for getting a near irreconcilable division between the West Bank and Gazan Palestinians.

  • 15. 0 0
    King Abdullah wants guarantees
    • * BEN JABO
    • 07.09.07
    • 18:38

    He can't guarantee that the Palestinian's he's hosting won't turn on him the same way they did on his father...Daddy had to kill more than 10,000 to restore order and retain his throne..

  • 14. 0 0
    King Abdullah
    • Barney Panofsky
    • 07.09.07
    • 17:43

    Abdullah wants guarantees??? Can Abdullah guarantee that his Arab brothers will actually enforce any agreements they sign? Will the missiles stop? Will the kidnapping stop? Will the corruption stop? Will they stop the indoctination of their youth with the lies and hate? Let us know when this happens

  • 13. 0 0
    Lynn - the King knows if there is no fair deal
    • spyguy
    • 07.09.07
    • 16:14

    he is toast and the people that replace him will be much less willing to put up with Israel. The same will happen in Egypt soon. The only one I am not sure of is the house of Saud. They may be able to survive by screwing the US and making life more miserable for Israel. Unless Israel is willing to give up a LOT of land, water and cash, its future is not very bright. I like the King and think he understands the situation very well, but the US and Israel are arrogantly ignoring his dire warnings. I hope when he is deposed, he and his family can go into exile instead of dying. Remember the King is way out of alignment from his people and will not be able to sustain that division for too much longer. Israel should heed his warning and deal harshly with its internal extremists so that Israel can DO what is necessary for peace. Unfortunately I do not see anyone in Israel that is willing to take on the settlers. So there will be no peace until after Israel loses the next big war.

  • 12. 0 0
    IF ABDULLAH WANTS TO TALK BIG,LET HIM ACT BIG
    • Ian
    • 07.09.07
    • 15:43

    Abdullah should keep his nose out unless he has a contribution to make.There is plenty of room in Jordan for so-called Palestinian refugees.But that might cost him the crown that Winston Churchill gave to his family of immigrants.

  • 11. 0 0
    peace will come when......
    • ravi
    • 07.09.07
    • 15:19

    ..... when abdullah , mubarak, the house of saud..... are no more. with uncle sams stooges out of the way, and a dispensation reflecting the peoples will in power, the true reality of the mid east will dawn upon the us. only then will israel be made to behave, so as to reach a true peace. until then pali blood will flow

  • 10. 0 0
    #8 spyguy
    • Lynn
    • 07.09.07
    • 15:15

    At least the King and the US and Israel KNOW the state is staying right where it is. Now if you could just convince the other Arabs and Iran of that fact everyone just might be able to get somewhere. Please call Haniyeh without delay, make an appointment and convince him to stop trying to destroy Israel.

  • 9. 0 0
    # 5 Victor of Belfast
    • Lynn
    • 07.09.07
    • 14:52

    That is the Kings greatest fear.

  • 8. 0 0
    US will screw Arabs like usual
    • spyguy
    • 07.09.07
    • 14:19

    I don't know why the King keeps trying to get the US to help bring peace to the ME, when it is obvious to anyone with half a brain that the US and Israel have absolutely no desire for peace since true peace would require Israel to give up lots of land, water and cash which it will NOT do. The king should just get used to low level war.

  • 7. 0 0
    Corrected.Sharon,Israel Empire Built on Lies
    • Samuel
    • 07.09.07
    • 11:43

    Sharon said, "Israel Empire Built on Lies. He would know he was one of main architects of the first "EVIL EMPIRE" Israel!

  • 6. 0 0
  • 5. 0 0
    the comic opera king sits on palestine
    • victor hardman
    • 07.09.07
    • 11:35

    the remedy dear abdullah is to absorb all the arabs on israels land !!

  • 4. 0 0
    As always, the Arabs try to get everything for nothing or worse:
    • Uzi
    • 07.09.07
    • 09:17

    The Arabs consistently demonstrate that they don't want, can't make and won't maintain real peace. They do want, however, to visibly weaken Israel by regaining territory without 'giving' anything, least of all real peace. They ignore that "possession is nine tenths of the law" and that it's rather the Arabs who should come forward and spell out what they offer Israel in return for what they want. They also pretend not to get it that in this case "land for peace" is both immoral and unworkable. The Arabs had used the 'territories' to threaten, pester and attack Israel before we took these territories in self defence. They continue to plan, prepare and perpetrate genocide against Israel and pretend not to see that it would be suicidal for Israel to concede anything in response to their aggressive threats and action. The Arabs must realize that the only way toward peace is that rather themselves should offer, accept and be convincingly satisfied with 'painful' territorial compromises.

  • 3. 0 0
    An unconvetional plan for painless end to the Israeli occupation:
    • Uzi
    • 07.09.07
    • 09:05

    Israel should let Hamas to depose Abbas and smash Fatah in Judea and Samaria, or even help Hamas to do so, in order to make it easier to abolish the PA and wipe it off the world map and consciousness. It will also open the way for the Kingdom of Jordan to take charge as the only viable nation state of all the Arabs of Greater Palestine. Having got rid of the PA, Israel and Jordan should agree on the border between them in Judea and Samaria and maybe cede Gaza to Egypt that would sort it out quite smartly. Everybody, Jews and Arabs, should continue to live in peace where they are and nobody should move from their homes or land. Israelis who would thus become residents of the Kingdom of Jordan should be given rights and conditions like the Arabs in Israel.

  • 2. 0 0
    An eventual success will be when most of the West Bank will turn
    • Reuvi Yaron
    • 07.09.07
    • 08:45

    into a province of Jordan, and when the Gaza Strip will turn into a province of Egypt. Until this happens and the residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip don't find thier place in these two countries, our region will not see peace and all will pay the price.

  • 1. 0 0
    Best way to ensure success
    • Binyamin Dissen
    • 07.09.07
    • 08:25

    The best way to ensure success is to show to the little king that the US will not make things easy for him and his moslem arab dictators found in the middle east. Tie the enormous US aid to moslem countries with them entering the 21st century.