Jordan Calls for Mideast Peacemaking

[cal04]

Jordan called Tuesday for the immediate resumption of Arab peacemaking with Israel, saying the time was ripe after guns fell silent in the Lebanese-Israeli conflict.

King Abdullah II warned that the Lebanon conflict ''could be repeated unless the international community shoulders its responsibility and works for a comprehensive solution to he Arab-Israeli conflict.''

The ''stalemate...jeopardizes the opportunities for peace and stability in the region,'' Abdullah said in talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is on a tour of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Government spokesman Nasser Judeh said Jordan was working with Arab governments to revive the peace process with Israel.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Mideast-Jordan-Peacemaking.html

[elliswyatt]

1. what's funny

is that the people in there don't believe any of that stuff. They know their countries are American puppets

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Why is it?

Why is it that moderate governments in the Arab world are called "American puppets" because they want peace in their region? Yes, they are allied with the US on some things and even receive funds. The peoples of those countries enjoy freedoms that their brothers and sisters do not in other countries. Besides, there are also alliances within the Arab world. So sometimes, one Arab country doesn't like another and it has nothing to do with their relations with the US.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

3. Do you think those leaders are popular with their people though?

What do you think would happen if the pro-American leaders didn't receive funds and the people had the freedom to elect who they wanted to?

[Behind the Aegis]

4. It seems they are.

From what I have seen, Mubarak and King Hussein are quite popular, except from the "militant" faction. Hussein is more popular than Mubarak, but that has little to do with his American ties.

I don't know about Jordan, but there are free elections in Egypt.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

5. So you think that Jordan would elect the king if they had an election?

How about Saudi Arabia? How popular do you think the royal family there is with the ordinary people?

[Behind the Aegis]

6. ummmm...

Jordan is a constitutional monarchy. They have elections. The king appoints a number of people, but it is their system Should they be like us? The UK? Germany?

What about SA? The royal family is popular in some respects, reviled in others. What does any of this have to do with the original question I asked in response to another poster?

[FlavaKreemSnak]

7. I am just wondering what you think would happen

If we stopped giving any funds to the leaders in any of the countries. Do you think that the leaders are so popular that they would not want to have elections or make any changes, and also if they had elections do you think they would elect their leaders. Like in Jordan, do you think that most of the people like it being a monarchy? I'm not asking like what they should have, just what you think they would like if America just stopped giving the leaders any funds and didn't do anything to try and suggest or help the people in any way.

[elliswyatt]

8. they are considered

they are considered American puppets because they don't follow the will of their people. maybe this is good or bad depending on your viewpoint.

Mubarak is not popular. With my right hand I can support the number of people I know who like him. And I know many, many Egpytians, from the Muslim Brotherhood types to the Copts to the liberals. People don't vote. My friends won't even send me PGP mail discussing local politics because they don't want to be arrested. I can only discuss it when I am in their homes in Egypt. He is not popular. The elections there are worthless.

Hussein, however, seems to have the respect of his people. I don't think he is seen so much as an American puppet, but they know about the influence. But then again, I haven't spent much time there.