King urges US senators to engage in peace process

AMMAN (Petra) —  His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday told US congressmen that the international community’s failure to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land would lead to further failures in the region.

During a meeting with a delegation of visiting congressmen, chaired by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), King Abdullah stressed the important role of the US Senate and House of Representatives in bringing about a positive change in the Middle East through supporting efforts to relaunch the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis and bring them back to the negotiating table.

The Monarch described the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative as a historic opportunity for all concerned parties to put an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, adding that resolving this issue lies at the core of the Arab-Israeli dispute.

The initiative offers full peace with all Arab states in return for a withdrawal to pre-1967 borders and “an agreed solution to the refugee problem”.

The King’s comments come just days after he pledged Jordan’s continued support for the Palestinian people on the occasion of the Independence Day.

“Jordan will continue to defend Arab rights in Palestine, until the day the Palestinian people regain their rights in full and establish their independent state on their soil and enjoy, in that state, freedom, independence and a decent life,” the King said in an address to the nation.

In addition to Leahy, the visiting delegation also included Senator Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi), Senator Chuck Hagel          (R-NE), Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) and House of the Representatives member Peter Welch (D-VT).

On Iraq, the King reiterated Jordan’s support to enhance the security and stability in the war-ravaged country and break the cycle of violence.

He said Iraq’s political process should be inclusive of all ethnicities and sects in order for it to be successful.

The delegates commended the King’s efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the King also held talks yesterday with the Chairman of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society Saad Haqqi and voiced his support for the society’s efforts to alleviate humanitarian suffering in the war-torn country.

The King stressed his readiness to provide the society with necessary support to perform its duties in cooperation with the Jordan Red Crescent and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO).

Since 2003, the  JHCO has been dispatching aid to the neighbouring country, including tents, foodstuff and medical supplies. To date, some 391 convoys loaded with 6,647 tonnes of these items have been dispatched.