Amman has strongly dismissed Israeli press reports that it had secretly hosted talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and senior Saudi officials. "These reports are sheer fantasy and completely wrong," government spokesman Nasser Judeh said in remarks published by Jordanian dailies Saturday.
"All the allegations carried by various media about secret meetings in Jordan between Israeli officials and Jordanian, Saudi, Egyptian or Palestinian officials, be they of a security or political nature, are totally false," Judeh said. "These sorts of reports are put about every time there are positive signs emerging in the peace process, probably with a view to damaging it and creating a climate of suspicion around it."
Israel's daily Yediot Aharonot reported Thursday that Olmert had held a secret meeting lasting several hours with Saudi officials at the palace of Jordan's King Abdullah II. According to the paper, Olmert flew to Amman by helicopter for the night-time meeting, accompanied by his chief of staff and a top military attache.
