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| Israel-Palestine |
| Abdullah: Syria, Hezbollah promote terror against Israel |
| 2005-03-23 |
| WASHINGTON - Jordan's King Abdullah warned yesterday that Syria and Hezbollah are encouraging Palestinian activists to carry out terror attacks against Israel, trying to divert attention from the situation in Lebanon and Syria. In a meeting with representatives of leading Jewish organizations, Abdullah also said Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are the greatest threats to stability in the Middle East. Abdullah said he recently told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that in case of a terrorist attack Sharon should check carefully who is behind it to avoid an Israeli retaliation against the wrong target. Abdullah was implying that, should a terror attack occur, Sharon would find that Hezbollah was responsible. Sources who attended the session said they were surprised by the vehemence of Abdullah's remarks about Syria. They noted that he opened the meeting with his concerns about efforts by Syria and Hezbollah to undermine the peace process with terror attacks against Israel. One U.S. Jewish source, recalling a similar meeting with the king on his first visit to Washington as Jordan's ruler, said Abdullah was then full of praise for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Abdullah said Jordan has succeeded in thwarting several attempts by terrorists to infiltrate Israel to carry out attacks. He told President George W. Bush at their meeting last week that the success of the peace process could weaken Hezbollah and Hamas, while its failure would strengthen them. He said relations between Jordan and Israel were good and that he intends to act to speed up joint projects. Abdullah spoke at the meeting of a new Jordanian initiative to fight anti-Semitism in the Arab world. He said he sent a message to the Muslim states urging them to fight anti-Semitism. He also said Jordan intends to act with Jewish and Christian organizations in the U.S. to quash it. Taking the religious component out of the dispute would reduce the tension and help to find a solution, he added. He said he was appointing his cousin, Prince Ghazi, to head the team to advance interreligious dialogue. Attending the meeting were representatives of U.S. groups, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, B'nai B'rith, American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Americans for Peace Now and the Jewish Council on Public Affairs. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #12 This is a canny effort by Abdullah to surf the wave of democracy sweeping over the Middle East. I think he would like to go down in history as one of the liberators of the Arab world. Good for him. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2005-03-23 8:09:34 PM |
| #11 PD - Are you referring to Zarqawi & Co who tried to create and place huge truckbombs of chemicals to wipe out the Jordanian Intelligence Service? IIRC, it was tons of stuff, although I don't recall if it was ever decided how effective the materials chosen would have been. What's not in doubt, however, is that they intended to wipe out Abdullah's FBI/CIA/SS etc in one shot. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-03-23 6:47:04 PM |
| #10 Didn't a Syrian try to off Abdullah not to long ago? Or was it that there was a terrorist plot to kill thousands of Jordanians? In either case, seems to me there's no love lost between Abbie and Ass-ie. |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2005-03-23 6:03:29 PM |
| #9 Besides which, King A is Western educated and realizes that the PLO is as much a threat to his country and royal line as it is to Israel. And Hamas and Hezbollah are even worse : if they could ever get rid of Israel, Jordan is next. So he is stating the obvious to get on the right side of history and the US force projection in the area. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2005-03-23 5:57:00 PM |
| #8 This is the same Jordanian royal family that gave the PLO its Waterloo in 1970 : Black September -- the elder King wiped out the PLO plotters along the Syrian agents that tried to overthrow him at the time. That is where the terrorists that hit Munich got their name -- from the Jordanian smackdown that the terrs called Black September. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2005-03-23 5:50:29 PM |
| #7 I was defending King A yesterday so this makes me feel lucky. Maybe I'll buy a lottery ticket. |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-03-23 4:47:36 PM |
| #6 I believe this is a benefit of making it visibly safer to be friendly than not. "I am not Saddam Hussein." |
| Posted by: Dishman 2005-03-23 4:35:58 PM |
| #5 Jordan's King Abdullah warned yesterday that Syria and Hezbollah are encouraging Palestinian activists to carry out terror attacks against Israel, trying to divert attention from the situation in Lebanon and Syria. *gasp*.....My God... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-03-23 4:33:35 PM |
| #4 The Hashemite line in Jordan has been bitter enemies of the Damascus regime since Syria became independent in 1946. At that time this Abdullas great grandfather, Abdullah was pursuing a policy of "Greater Syria" with him as its king, in fulfillment of the kingdom of his brother Faisal, who ruled in Damascus before being tossed out by the French (the same Faisal who is friends with Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia) Under Hafez Assad it was Syria that pursued "Greater Syria" and sought to undermine Jordan AND Lebanon, and to take over the PLO (many PLO guys have been killed over the years by Syrian intell) In 1970 Syria and the PLO joined forces in trying to overthrow king hussein. Syrian troops in Lebanon - Syrian undermining of the PA - all part and parcel of the Greater Syria strategy. Obviously young King Abdullah is sharp enough to realize this strategy endangers his own throne. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-03-23 4:10:50 PM |
| #3 Hey, my surprise meter twitched! Abdullah also said Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are the greatest threats to stability in the Middle East For starters, at least. RBers could name a few more. |
| Posted by: Spot 2005-03-23 3:28:46 PM |
| #2 yep - and snowshoes ordered for hell, too |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-03-23 3:26:09 PM |
| #1 Was that a pig I saw flying by the window? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-03-23 3:22:55 PM |