King Opposes Sending Jordanian Peacekeeping Troops to Iraq

Amman
17 May 2004

His Majesty King Abdullah II he personally opposes sending Jordanian peacekeeping troops to Iraq in the future.



"It is too tempting to use the presence of your troops to have an impact on society inside Iraq," King Abdullah said on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea. " I have taken the decision, truly, from a moral point of view, that I don't think it's right, at the same time, for anybody else (bordering Iraq) we have our interest," the King told reporters. "


We see it's unreasonable for the neighboring countries to send troops to Iraq at present because the situation is too sensitive," the King said Jordan is willing to help in other ways and " we are prepared to accept all sorts of support to Iraq and to bring it back to the Arab fold a free and independent Arab country," King Abdullah added.



The killing of the Head of Iraqi Governing Council Izzadine Saleem "stresses the need to hand over full sovereignty to the Iraqis and enhance the UN role in Iraq," King Abdullah said.



The King noted that during his meeting with President Bush, he underlined the necessity to involve all Iraqi sects in efforts to determine the future of their country and no group should be marginalized so that they will all be partners in building their future.



"We advised the Americans to bring back to military service some units of the dissolved Iraqi army because we believe that a big reason behind the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and the continuation of violence was the decision to dissolve the Iraqi army last year leaving over half a million jobless," the King said.



On the Arab summit scheduled in Tunis next week, King Abdullah, King Abdullah hoped the summit would come up with a pan-Arab decision to create changes inside the Arab home.



We look forward to seeing Arab leaders coming together on an integrated plan of social and political reform that takes into account the unique situation of every Arab country and goes in line with our nation's traditions and history," said the King who stressed that such a desired reform initiative should include the Arab Israeli conflict, which is still obstructing development efforts and plans of economic and social reformation.



Issues of economic, political and social reforms figured high on the agenda of the WEF concluded Monday at the Dead Sea resort.



King Abdullah hoped WEF meeting would serve as good opportunity for political elite and Arab civil society institutions to adopt a document for reform. He recalled the reformation document approved by the 100-member Arab Business Council that was formed last year during the WEF in Dafos.



The civil society institutions could build on such a document that would back up the Arab leaders' move towards reformation.



On the terrorist plan foiled by security forces in Jordan last month, King Abdullah the terrorist involved in the plan confessed they were financed by Al Qaeda but he said he didn't know whether there is a relationship between the threat against Jordan and the terrorist attacks in Riyadh and the recent clashes in Syria.



On Jordan's readiness to train Palestinian police units with no interference in the Palestinian affairs, King Abdullah affirmed that Jordan would never accept any intervention in the Palestinian affairs, stressing in the meantime coordination with the Palestinian brothers.



The King said he was pending hopes on the success of the first meeting in Berlin between U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia.



In an exclusive interview with the B.B.C., King Abdullah said the meeting Berlin would be very important to bring about a positive stand that helps pave the ground for building a new relationship between the Palestinian Authority and the U.S. Administration.