All stories from the Jordan Times, unless otherwise specified.
King reaffirms
rejection of unilateral Israeli moves that hinder peace talks
Prosecutor
interrogating suspects in attack on Taher - Mutawi
Proposed press law
amendments divide association members
Cabinet briefed on
aftermath of snowstorm, French FM's visit
Activist's
summons on slander charges highlights issue of alleged pollution
in Fuheis
King reaffirms
rejection of
unilateral Israeli moves that hinder peace talks
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN - His Majesty King Hussein and Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat on Tuesday discussed the peace process that has been
deadlocked for months due to Israeli delays in implementing the
agreements signed with the Palestinians.
During the meeting, attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince
Hassan, the King reaffirmed Jordan's rejection of any unilateral
Israeli steps that would paralyse peace making with the
Palestinians.
The two leaders also discussed the recent political developments
in Israel following the resignation of Israeli Foreign Minister
David Levy, a critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin
Netanyahu's peace policy with the Palestinians.
Palestinian Ambassador in Amman Omar Khatib told the Jordan Times
that the Palestinian leader has briefed the King on the talks he
held last week with U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Dennis
Ross, who failed to narrow the gap between the Palestinians and
Israelis.
Mr. Khatib, who attended the meeting between Mr. Arafat and the
King, added that the Palestinian president also briefed King
Hussein on his plans to meet with U.S. President Bill Clinton in
Washington next week.
Mr. Clinton is scheduled to hold separate meetings with Mr.
Netanyahu and Mr. Arafat in Washington on Jan. 20 and 22
respectively.
Following his meeting with the King, President Arafat told Jordan
Television that his meeting with the U.S. president is the last
chance to save the peace process.
"I hope that President Clinton will be able to convince
Netanyahu," to move the peace process forward, Mr. Arafat
said.
The Palestinian leader asked King Hussein to intensify his
efforts to make the upcoming meeting with President Clinton a
success.
The Palestinian leader added that he briefed the King on the
obstacles the Israelis are creating that impede progress in the
peace process and delay the implementation of the agreements
signed between the two sides.
Among the thorny issues the Palestinians demand is Israeli army
redeployment from rural areas in the West Bank, the safe passage
between Gaza Strip and the West Bank and the launching of a
seaport and an airport in Gaza.
Israel said that it will not carry out the second stage of
Israeli army withdrawal unless the PNA undertakes tough measures
against Palestinian factions that oppose peace with Israel,
especially Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.
Mr. Khatib denied local newspaper reports that Mr. Arafat would
show the King maps which the Palestinians have proposed for
Israeli pullout from the West Bank.
"No maps were shown nor discussed during the meeting,"
Mr. Khatib said.
The Palestinian leader is expected to hold talks with Prime
Minister Abdul Salam Majali today followed by a press conference.
Mr. Arafat who has spoken with King Hussein twice recently, had
been scheduled to go to Amman on Sunday but high winds and stormy
weather both in Jordan and the West Bank resulted in postponing
the trip.
Prosecutor interrogating suspects in attack on Taher - Mutawi
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN - A Jordanian court prosecutor is interrogating five
Iraqis, including women, for alleged involvement in an attack on
the Iraqi commercial attachŽ in the Kingdom, a government
spokesman said on Tuesday.
Minister of State for Information Affairs Samir Mutawi confirmed
to reporters that a sixth suspect, who enjoys diplomatic
immunity, was also implicated in the Jan. 3 attack on Mr. Rahim
Taher, 45.
He said Jordan might press for lifting his immunity to enable his
questioning.
Dr. Mutawi declined to give further details but said the man was
still at large.
"The sixth person enjoys political immunity. We cannot
reveal his identity now, because we want to maintain the
objectivity and accuracy of the investigation and because he
might not be involved in the attack," he said.
Mr. Taher escaped unharmed when he was fired at from a passing
car outside his home in Umm Utheina.
Dr. Mutawi said the attack had no political motives but appeared
to have been carried out "for family and financial
reasons."
The five suspects held forged Iraqi passports, he said.
The silencer-equipped gun used in the attack was also seized.
Dr. Mutawi denied reports that the suspects belonged to one
family but said that two of the five detainees were brothers.
He said some of them entered Jordan from Iraq to carry out the
assault and others were residents in Amman.
Agence France Presse, quoting judicial sources, identified the
suspected organiser of the attack as a former army man Qasim
Mohammed Jarow Al Rajihi.
Dr. Mutawi said Jordan had provided the Iraqi embassy in Amman
with the outcome of the investigation.
The mission declined comment on the latest twist in the case.
Iraqi ambassador to Jordan, Nouri Lweiss, last week blamed the
attack on parties who opposed improved Jordanian-Iraqi ties and
insisted on calling it an assassination attempt.
A judicial source, who requested anonymity, said the case was
referred to the Amman Court, not the Higher Criminal Court.
"If the Amman Court prosecutor finds that the case was
attempted murder, then it will be sent to the Criminal
Court," he said. "But if he finds out that it is merely
a threat of murder, then it will go to the Peace Court."
Proposed press law amendments divide association members
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh
AMMAN - The members of the Jordanian Press Association (JPA)
council are in disagreement over the association's proposed
amendments to the temporary Press and Publications Law that JPA
President Seif Sharif recently sent to Parliament.
One council member told the Jordan Times on Tuesday that not all
members agreed to all the proposals, and that the amendments were
written in a manner that only addresses the interests of certain
parties.
"We have been against the temporary law from the beginning,
but are also against the proposed amendments of several articles
by the council," said a council member, who preferred to
remain anonymous.
He added tha