Jordan Times
Thursday, January 20, 2005
King urges Bush to consolidate stability in Mideast
AMMAN (AFP) — His Majesty King Abdullah urged the US to help reinforce stability
in the Middle East in a telephone conversation with President George W. Bush,
the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported Wednesday.
“The King and the US president had a telephone
conversation last night [Tuesday] during which they discussed the latest
developments... on the Palestinian and Iraqi scenes,” Petra said.
King Abdullah said Washington should “pursue its efforts to consolidate
stability in the region and push forward the peace process leading to the
establishment of an independent Palestinian state.”
With a tight security net thrown over the US capital, Bush prepared Wednesday to
launch his second term today with an eye on a legacy shaped by the September 11
attacks and the war on Iraq. Bush was working on his speech, which he said will
focus on his second-term priorities of battling terrorism and spreading
democracy, starting in Iraq, where elections are scheduled for January 30
despite deadly violence.