Abdullah, Olmert Meet In Jordan
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a surprise visit to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah. The snap trip was made at Abdullah's invitation. No details have been released about the meeting as yet, other than it occurred. Jordan's king has been pressing Washington to do more to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Frankly, him taking some of the initiative himself is a very good way to get things moving again.
AMMAN, Jordan - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a surprise visit to Jordan Tuesday for talks with King Abdullah II on ways to revive Mideast peacemaking.
The palace also said Abdullah was offering to host a meeting in Jordan to help resolve Palestinian infighting between the Hamas and Fatah movements. As the statement was issued, the two groups waged fierce gunbattles in Gaza City.
Olmert's visit came in response to an invitation by Abdullah, who is eager to see Israel resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians, a senior palace official said.
In Jerusalem, Olmert's office confirmed the meeting, saying the leaders discussed the Palestinian crisis and larger regional issues.
The U.S.-allied monarch has said a return to Arab-Israeli negotiations is vital to curb rising extremism in the Middle East, fueled by the conflict in Iraq. Abdullah has called on Washington to do more on reviving the peace process, which is stalled amid the Palestinian crisis.
The palace official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of Olmert's visit, said the two leaders met for two hours and the Israeli then returned home.
Some of the more moderate - or at least less extremist - states in the region need to get themselves involved. Looking to Washington to do it all is not going to work out for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the continuous attempts by European governments to undermine the US at every turn. You can't have it both ways; asking the US to solve every problem while actively trying to limit US influence. If the regional governments do not start being part of the solution, they are going to have an awfully big problem on their hands when Iran begins expanding a new Persian Empire.
World news | Gaius Tuesday, 19 December , 2006
