by Mark Silva
King Abdullah of Jordan, who met privately with President Bush in Washington this week, speaks of the urgency in continuing peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians -- despite the uptick in violence that has marred the scene in recent weeks.
"We need to win, otherwise the Middle East is going to continue to slide into the abyss,'' the king said in an interview with National Public Radio.
Yet the king is more skeptical about all the promises for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq that he is hearing in the American election campaign underway.
“It’s difficult for me to make any judgment on American policy in Iraq,'' the king said in his talk with NPR's Robert Siegel, host of All Things Considered, "but I think the realities on the ground will stipulate that the withdrawal of troops will not be as easy and as quick as I think we’ve been hearing.
"There (are) issues of keeping the stability inside of Iraq,'' he said in the interview airing this evening,"and I think that when you actually come around to planning troop reductions, it’s very, very complicated.”
The king underscored his belief in the urgency of continuing talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, which are renewing at a brief suspension called amidst renewed violence.
, “What concerns me is if we fail in the process over the next year, at least if we don’t have enough groundswell to be able to convince people that the process is continuing into 2009, it’ll be another two or three years until whoever the new American president is, that will be interested of sort of touching our region with a 10-foot pole.” he told NPR host Robert Siegel, in the only media interview that King Abdullah is giving during his U.S. trip this week.
“From all the reports that I’ve received and the discussions that I’ve had with Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas, I think the chemistry is there, the willingness to move the negotiations forward is there,'' he said.
"And obviously I think one of my concerns are is that final status issues, as you well know, are so complicated and so sensitive,'' he said. "Israelis and Palestinian politicians, left to their own devices, will not be able to complete the final status issues, and this is when we need to be ready as part of the international community led by the United States that can push them over that hurdle.
"What is the alternative? I mean, I think this is the great worry that all of us have,'' he said. "The overwhelming population of both Israel and Palestine want a negotiated settlement.
"All Arab countries and all Muslim countries have signed up to a peace initiative to have normal relations with Israel if we can solve the two-state solution. So we’re talking about the future of Israel no longer to the borders of Jordan or Syria or Lebanon or Egypt; we’re talking about a future of Israel from Morocco and the Atlantic to Indonesia and the South Pacific.
"This is the opportunity, this is the chance, for all of us to be able to move on with our lives,'' he said. "If we don’t solve the core issue of the problem, then I fear that rocket attacks, the death of innocent peoples, the conflict is just going to continue. I don’t see any end in sight. We need to win, otherwise the Middle East is going to continue to slide into the abyss. ''
On the timetables for withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq proposed by U.S. presidential candidates, he says:
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Comments
He is 100% correct. Do you know what will happen to these people if we just pull everyone out and leave. Iraq will turn into another Rawanda where people will be slaughtered by the thousands.
Posted by: Vinny | March 6, 2008 4:03 PM
Vinny,
Would you care to give us your credentials for your conclusion?
Other than that, you have nothing to base your OPINION on that is any more valid than anyone else.
Posted by: dogjudge | March 6, 2008 4:14 PM
Maybe the King would like to take on some of the burden.
I didn't think so.
Posted by: bill "Hussein" r. | March 6, 2008 4:18 PM
dogjudge,
Did Vinny claim that his opinion is more valid than anyone else's? I must have missed that...
Posted by: Tim1979 | March 6, 2008 4:32 PM
"Jordanian king: Peace urgent, Iraq withdrawal tough"
Goodluck with that peace thing, King Abdullah because Republican Prez 19%'s little buddy, John McCain want's us to bomb Iran and stay in Iraq for the next 100 years:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqtL-P8kzo
Posted by: John E | March 6, 2008 4:38 PM
As a foremr Marine myself from 96-99 I know that the only thing keeping the Iraqis from an all out bloodbath is the US military. If we leave anyone that has been in cooperation with the US will be free game for the insurgetns.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 6, 2008 4:46 PM
"THE GREAT ALIBUBU SPEAKS"
HEY GUYS, THIS QUAGMIRE AUGMENTATION HAS TO END DON'T YOU THINK.
TALK IS TALK, BUT THIS IS HOW DO YOU SAY IN YOUR COUNTRY. THIS IS JUST "STUPID"
IF YOU COULD SPELL RECONCILIATION, IT WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED.
NO GO RUB THE MAGIC LAMP AND ASK FOR A BETTER WISH!
"BOY WHO CRIED WOLF"
01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, AND NOW 08!
Posted by: Roger Morris | March 6, 2008 4:53 PM
Wonder what Obama thinks of King Abdullah's thoughts? Wonder if anyone has the temerity to ask him?
Posted by: JB | March 6, 2008 8:50 PM
I don't want the King of J*rdan suggesting American military policy in Iraq--ESPECIALLY since JORDAN SUSPENDED CONSCRIPTION in 1999. Why kill more American troops for Jordan when they are not doing all they can for themselves first????? Given all of their fears, and proximity to Iraq, Jordan has ONLY a VOLUNTEER ARMY????? And they cry that the Dem candidates talk of pulling out????? They need to put many more of their own people in there, do more of their own peace talking, and offer more of their own resources. I'm thinking the Iraqi and Middle Eastern communities will acquiesce to American troops anytime. Duh. Hey, let the other guy/ Americans deplete or die, instead of us. Their Mamas didn't raise no fools. Respectfully, the Jordanian King needs to go to the UN now.
I'm still wondering why no Bush, no Cheney, no Wolfie, no Libby, no Rove, or no Addington is fighting, being wounded, or killed in Iraq. How easy was it for them to give a death sentence to so many American troops--especially the National Guardsmen and women--who were taken from their civilian jobs and thrown into the grinder without adequate protection--and forced to go back to Iraq SOOO many times in 5 years? I can not think of a lower life form than a chicken-hawk.
Posted by: Vivian | March 6, 2008 11:09 PM
I was very touched by King Abdullah's interview. He is an excellent and intelligent leader who takes into account his _and_ his neighbor's well being. Thank you, King Abdullah, for your hard work to improve our world.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 7, 2008 1:46 AM
I am a lifelong Democrat. I voted for Clinton in the Illinois primary just a month ago. But I'm beginning to see the real Hillary, a person willing to go to any lengths to grab the Presidency. Distributing racist information about her opponent and then feigning lack of culpability. Going negative and then accusing the other side of being the negative ones. I think maybe there is a monster lurking in there. During this last primary election cycle,by going negative, she may have won but she badly hurt the Democratic party and helped McCain and the Republicans to a point where they now have a legitimate shot at winning the presidency. If Clinton is the nominee I am not sure I will vote for her. She is un trustworthy. At this point I regret voting for her in the Illinois primary.
Posted by: Steve, a baby boomer | March 7, 2008 10:18 AM
He is 100% correct. Do you know what will happen to these people if we just pull everyone out and leave. Iraq will turn into another Rawanda where people will be slaughtered by the thousands.
Posted by: Vinny | March 6, 2008 4:03 PM
As opposed to now where every thing is sweetness and light....
http://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSL07193119
People ARE being slaughtered by thousands.
http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/numbers/2007/
We can't stop the killing. We can't impose a lasting settlement. We are not all powerful.
Posted by: JT | March 7, 2008 1:23 PM