Jordan's King Abdullah II urged President George W. Bush to seek peace in the Middle East in the wake of last week's terror attacks on New York and Washington, an official said Monday.
Abdullah told Bush in a telephone call on Sunday that Jordan "stands alongside the American people" and that the United States must "pursue its efforts to secure peace in the Middle East," the official said.
Later Monday Abdullah also called Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to discuss the "regional and international developments in the wake of the terror attacks," an official said.
Abdullah briefed Arafat on his talks with Bush and other European leaders over the past few days, particularly his efforts to "urge them on the need to put an end to the violence" sweeping the Palestinians territories.
"Finding just solutions to the regional conflicts, particularly the Palestinian cause, is the cornerstone in establishing world peace and security," the official quoted Abdullah as telling Arafat.
Jordan's ambassador to Washington Marwan Moasher meanwhile told Al-Dustour newspaper that Abdullah was expected to travel to the United States before the end of the month to meet with the US president.
Abdullah told US television channel NBC on Sunday that Arab countries will support the global fight against terrorism but stressed the best guarantee of success was a peaceful outcome of the Middle East conflict.
The religious council of Jordan's main Islamist opposition group, the Islamic Action Front, issued a fatwa, or religious decree, Sunday banning Muslims from joining a US-led international coalition to fight terrorism.
But a party official told AFP the order will apply only after its leadership approves the text -- AMMAN (AFP)
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