(Ha'aretz) - Ze'ev Schiff A good many British and American aircraft are flying eastward over Israel to Jordan. Israeli officials know how many planes have overflown the country and are also able to guess what they contain. What is going on behind the scenes in Jordan is characteristic of events in a number of other Arab states as well. On the one hand, they are voicing loud objections to a war, yet almost all of them share the approach that it would be a good thing to be rid of Saddam Hussein, because he is endangering the region. The young Jordanian king is especially impressive. Contrary to the position taken by his father, King Hussein, in the 1991 Gulf War, King Abdullah has come out unequivocally on the side of the U.S. and intends to reap the full benefits of this move. The U.S. decided to go back to the Security Council with the aim of getting a resolution passed that will enable them to use force against the Iraqis. It has been learned that in order to forestall a French veto, the Americans have warned Paris that their reaction to a veto will include rules and regulations that will be aimed against the French economy and the economic relations between the two countries.
2003-02-21 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive