![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
. |
Jordan's king urges inclusive Iraqi government, caution over Iran MADRID (AFP) Feb 20, 2005 Jordan's King Abdullah II has urged all ethnic groups to join Iraq's new government, while calling for extreme caution on the West's dealings with Iran over the latter's nuclear programme. "In Jordan we respect the opinion of the Iraqi people. We are confident the new government will include all sectors of Iraqi society," the king said in an interview with Spain's El Pais published Sunday. "We are convinced that Iraq cannot achieve stability unless all Iraqis join the government and draw up a balanced constitution to safeguard the country's unity and stability. This requires the participation of representatives of all groups," the king said ahead of a visit to Spain starting Tuesday. On Iran, in Washington's sights over Tehran's nuclear programme, King Abdullah warned the world could not afford a conflict over the issue and urged the United States and its allies to tread carefully. "If Western forces now start a military conflict with another country in this part of the world, be it Iran or elsewhere, that will only bring more instability. We hope that if there is a problem between Iran and the West it will be resolved by peaceful means," the king said. "If we have to confront Iran ... we will eventually have to confront the Israeli programme," the Jordanian monarch added in allusion to the widespread belief that Israel possesses nuclear weapons although the Jewish state has never admitted as much. "Probably one of the reasons that Iran is developing it (a nuclear programme) is that Israel has one," the king added. King Abdullah also spoke of his deep pain at the assassination last week of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri in a car bombing, and said he did not believe terrorists were responsible. "I have lost a good friend, a moderate man who worked for the unity and future of Lebanon. "Who was behind it (the killing)? It is too early to say. What I can say is that from the sophistication of the attack and the methods used I do not believe it was a terrorist group," King Abdullah stated. He stressed he maintains good relations with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad as Washington continues to point the finger at Syria for the Hariri killing. Lebanese television station Future TV earlier reported Abdullah as calling for a "neutral" probe into Hariri's "cowardly and criminal" killing which he said targeted stability in the entire region. King Abdullah warned that whereas in the past Arabs had been angered by Washington's perceived support of Israel in the Middle East at the expense of the Palestinians, the Iraq conflict had deepened mistrust of the United States, of the American people as well as their government. "We are starting to feel for the first time that the animosity is not directed at the foreign policy of the American government but against the American people," he warned. But the king drew comfort from growing signs that Israelis and Palestinians are determined to edge towards peace, adding that the election of Mahmud Abbas as Palestinian leader, as well as the Iraq election, were positive signs for the region. "The recent elections in Palestina and Iraq have laid down a guideline in the Middle East," aiding the cause of reform. "Once you open the door (to democratic reform) you cannot close it," the king concluded. All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.
|
. |
|