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King Abdullah II meets with Netanyahu and Sharon

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE

Monday, March 1, 1999

AMMAN [MENL] -- Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon visited Amman Sunday in an effort to cement Israeli-Jordanian relations, amid criticism of Netanyahu's statement that Jordan is an ally of Iraq.

Netanyahu made the statement at Bar-Ilan University last Thursday. He told students that Jordan had allied with Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991 and the liklihood remains that Jordan could do so again.

Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh told reporters he rejected Netanyahu's statement but Jordan Foreign Minister's Abdul Illah Khatib said that he accepted Netanyahu's clarification.

"We have to take into account what will happen to us on the day that Sddam Hussein will have nuclear weapons. What happened the last time when Saddam Hussein was very strong," Netanyahu said.

"In 1991, the person who joined (Iraq) was King Hussein of Jordan, who was a knight of peace. Why did he support (Saddam)? Because Iraq was strong. But Iraq of 1990 under Saddam Hussein is a little crumb in contrast to Iraq with nuclear weapons. What will this do to Jordan. This will threaten our entire area and our eastern border. It will pose a grave danger to us and the Jordanians and to the peace if Saddam Hussein will get nuclear weapons. This problem is understood. We have no doubts about the Hashemite Kingdom, nor the person heading it. We know King Abdullah II is obligated to the peace activities of his father and we know that this peace is stable. These truthful words express our joint aim for peace with Jordan," Netanyahu told Israel Radio in an effort to clarify his words.

"Even during the mourning period for King Hussein, Netanayhu found it fitting to endanger the few achievements of peace left," a statement frome Opposition leader Ehud Barak said.

The meeting between Netanayhu, Sharon and the king was planned as a condolence visit to King Abdullah following the death of King Hussein. It was postponed until this week.

Netanyahu met with the king privately. This was followed by a joint luncheon with Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon, Jordan's Crown Prince Hamza and Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh.

Jordanian sources said King Abdullah will discuss water issues and the increased trade bwteen the two countries. Last year, Israeli-Jordanian trade amounted to $42 million, up 30 percent from the previous year.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told reporters in Amman Sunday that the situation in Lebanon is intolerable.

"This is obviously an acute problem. It is an unquiet border," Netanayhu said. "Certainly Israel cannot tolerate these kinds of attacks on its borders, on its soldiers or on its civilians."

Netanyahu was responding to questions on ongoing Israel air attacks in Lebanon.

Monday, March 1, 1999




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