Jordan Times - May 2, 2006  
   
King meets with Abbas, says Jordan, Egypt to rally international support for peace process
AMMAN (JT) — A group of Palestinian officials are currently in Amman to tackle the issue of arms smuggled recently by some Hamas members into Jordan, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday.

“We are following up on the matter,” Abbas was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as telling reporters after a meeting with King Abdullah. “We pledged to dispatch a follow-up committee, and some members of this panel are currently in Amman to address the problem.”

Last month, Abbas said he planned to send a “security delegation” to Jordan, after authorities seized a weapons cache and arrested Hamas elements, who plotted to carry out attacks on officials and other targets in the country on orders from a Hamas Syria-based leader. Abbas was quoted then as saying that this was “dangerous and surprising,” adding that the affair had “serious repercussions for the security and stability of Jordan.” Hamas denied any involvement.

During the meeting, King Abdullah told Abbas that Jordan will invest its relations with the international community to find effective means to ensure aid to the Palestinians.

Jordan sent 18,000 tonnes of medicines, medical equipment and food items as well as 30 ambulances to the Palestinians. International donors, led by the US, halted direct aid because the Hamas-led government refuses to recognise Israel.

The King said Jordan and Egypt will work at the international level to help resume the peace process and build trust between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Jordan and Egypt on Saturday said they wanted to cooperate with the incoming Israeli government to help resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians and preempt Israeli unilateral moves.

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert said he sought to set the Jewish state`s borders unilaterally if no basis can be found for negotiations with the Palestinians.

King Abdullah said a Quartet meeting, expected on May 9, will be an important step to push forward the peace process. The Quartet comprises the UN, the EU, the US and Russia. Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are to attend the meeting.

For his part, Abbas briefed the King on his tour of several European countries and thanked the King for Jordan`s relief aid.

He said he was “ready” to negotiate with Israel.

“We are ready to negotiate with the Israeli government on the basis of the roadmap,” Abbas said.

“When the Israelis show that they are ready, we will immediately start.”

He said he hoped Palestinian factions, including Hamas, would meet soon for a national dialogue, warning that they “face dangerous challenges and maybe catastrophes” otherwise.

Abbas, meanwhile, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that he will not seek a second term of office when his four-year mandate expires in 2009.

“No, no, [I just want] to complete my current mandate, if I succeed in that,” Abbas told the pan-Arabic satellite channel Al Arabiya, which broadcast clips of an interview it plans to air in full on Tuesday.

“Others should be given a chance, children and grandchildren, to take up political power,” Abbas added.

Asked if that included his own children, Abbas said: “No, no, no, God forbid. I mean the comrades who are with me [should have a chance to] shoulder the responsibility.” Abbas said the Hamas-led Palestinian government had asked Al Qaeda`s deputy leader, Ayman Zawahri, “not to interfere” in Palestinian affairs.

Abbas said he was worried about the infiltration of activists of Al Qaeda terror group into the Palestinian territories.

Read more about the Palestinian future State, Palestinian politics, Peace talks and Palestinian leaders on www.pforp.net pages.