Interview with His Majesty King Abdullah II
"The Last Word: It's Now Time To ‘Wake Up!'"
Last weekend, King Abdullah of Jordan played host to many dignitaries, including US Secretary of State Colin Powell, at a meeting of the World Economic Forum held at the Dead Sea. In his hotel suite with his shirt open at the neck, the young monarch spoke frankly to Newsweek's Lally Weymouth about his hopes and fears for Iraq and for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. Excerpts:
Newsweek: Do you think the impact of the prisoner-abuse scandal in Iraq will be long lasting in this region if those involved are brought to justice?
King Abdullah: It will be long lasting due to the fact that there are other pictures and video clips that have not come out. Having said that, in the US you have the rule of law, and if those perpetrators are brought to justice, that will placate international opinion. There has obviously been a shock in the US, as there has been everywhere else in the world, that this could happen.
Newsweek: What is your assessment of the situation in Iraq?
King Abdullah: Leading up to the handover, you are going to have even more instability. There are elements in Iraq that are going to try to create sectarian violence. Those elements want to continue to do that, because an unstable Iraq is where they can establish themselves.
Newsweek: Are you concerned about Iranian influence in Iraq?
King Abdullah: There is Iranian influence, but you can't say that is the only issue. We have to be very careful about how we integrate the Sunni sector back into Iraqi life. Identify once and for all the Baathists that are non grata, whether it is 100 or 10,000, so that Sunni society knows that it has a stake in the future of Iraq.
Newsweek: Identify the bad Baathists?
King Abdullah: Identify them, but then let everybody else off the hook. As you are aware, if you wanted to be a teacher or an engineer, you had to be a Baath Party member. So the educational system in Iraq is in complete chaos. The other issue is the reconstitution of the Iraqi Army. You don't take the top [Baathist] generals, but you work down from the rank of colonel or major. Lastly, I think, change the word de-Baathification... You know in South Africa, there was the reconciliation commission. That was a positive word. De-Baathification is a negative.
Newsweek: Do you see a link between the war in Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process?
King Abdullah: There always has been a link between the Palestinian-Israeli issue and Iraq. They sort of feed off one another.
Newsweek: Doesn't it put a lot of pressure on America's friends in this region if there is no peace process?
King Abdullah: What worries me is that there is tremendous anti-American sentiment throughout the Middle East and the world. It's the image people see of Israeli tanks with Palestinians and American tanks with Iraqis. It's those images that make people suspicious and frustrated toward what they perceive as a one-sided American policy.
Newsweek: If Prime Minister Sharon's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza goes ahead, do you see this as positive? And what role could Jordan play?
King Abdullah: As long as it is part of an identified process, which we believe is the Roadmap, anything that assists in moving forward is positive.
Newsweek: What are you hoping for from the Palestinians?
King Abdullah: I am hoping they have a comprehensive strategy to articulate to the American administration that “this is what is needed and this is what the Palestinians are prepared to do.”
Newsweek: At the upcoming Arab summit, will you push the reform agenda?
King Abdullah: We are working hard for a unified Arab position against extremism and terrorism targeting innocent civilians, which means suicide bombers. We went to the Arab countries and said, “Look, you need to come together with a blueprint for Arab reform. If you do not articulate such a blueprint, one may be forced upon you.” We in Jordan are in the clear: we have our plans and are not using regional problems as an excuse. We are moving forward, as are some of the other moderate countries. But the rest of you, wake up! The Middle East is changing.
Newsweek: If the US were to lose in Iraq, what would be the price in this region?
King Abdullah: The worst-case scenario of losing in Iraq is civil war there, which will draw everybody into the fray. Extremists will use an unstable Iraq. We have seen in history what Lebanon was like during its civil war, but this would be 10 times worse. [US officials] must get the transition right. If they don't, we are in for serious trouble.
