King Abdullah II`s Interview With CNN

Amman
19 March 2002

His Majesty King Abdullah II said that any military action against Iraq would be a mistake because you can not know the end result. He stressed that dialogue is the sole way to solve the Iraqi issue.

"I strongly believe that right now, action (against Iraq) would be a mistake because you don't know the end result and with the crisis going on with the Palestinians and the Israelis, I don't think the Middle East would handle any sort of strike,? King Abdullah said in an interview with Larry King Live of the CNN aired Tuesday. His Majesty affirmed that an overall elimination of weapons of mass destruction should be implemented across the whole region from Israel to India .

The King expressed optimism on the upcoming Arab summit in Beirut due to the tremendous Arab consensus. He pointed out that the Saudi initiative is a courageous step to the Arabs' desire for peace.

His Majesty said that president Arafat should be able to leave the Palestinian territories to attend the summit and he should be able to return home to .

We have inherited from the Late His Majesty King Hussein the idea to think not just about in our people but rather to go beyond our borders and support moderation in the region, His Majesty said.

The King affirmed that Jordanian economy is moving steadily forward and we have effective and a better standards of living than many others.

Jordan, King Abdullah said, was in a position that enabled to interfere and give advice and to encourage direct the parties to move in the right way.

The King Affirmed the Middle East peace process will figure high in the agenda of his meeting with President Bush on the sidelines of an economic conference in Mexico on Thursday or Friday.

He expressed belief that the political aspect of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has collapsed to a degree that the parties have become captives of whirls they can not get out from. The Saudi initiative reminds the leaders that at the end of the day that it is the peoples of the region who pay the price, His Majesty said.

The initiative, which is expected to be presented to the Arab summit, is simply a clear message that says "We the Arabs want a just and comprehensive peace. It is a clear message to the Arab street and more importantly to the Israeli street, that there is a future that could bring the Palestinians and the Israelis together," King Abdullah said.

It is still early to talk about the details of the Initiative , but in case it succeeds the US and the international community has to afford an umbrella to reach the final stages of negotiation, which I hope we will reach.