WASHINGTON, Nov 26: Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Sunday the problems in the Middle East go beyond the war in Iraq and that much of the region soon could become engulfed in violence unless the central issues are addressed quickly.
''We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands,'' he said, citing conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon and the decades-long strife between the Palestinians and Israelis.
''Therefore, it is time that we really take a strong step forward as part of the international community and make sure we avert the Middle East from a tremendous crisis that I fear, and I see could possibly happen in 2007,'' he said.
Speaking on ABC's ''This Week,'' Abdullah said he remained hopeful a summit he will host this week in Amman with President George W. Bush and the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, will somehow lower the sectarian violence that threatens to push Iraq into all-out civil war.
''We hope there will be something dramatic. The challenges, obviously, in front of both of them are immense,'' the king said.
''We have to make sure that all parties in Iraq understand the dangers of the ongoing escalation. I hope Prime Minister Maliki will have some ideas ... on how he can be inclusive in bringing all the different sects inside of Iraq together. They need to do it now,” he said.—AP
