
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991                   TAG: 9102070256
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: AMMAN, JORDAN                                LENGTH: Medium

JORDAN'S KING URGES ARABS TO BACK IRAQ

King Hussein tilted sharply toward Iraq on Wednesday, describing the Persian Gulf war as an effort by outsiders to destroy that country and carve up the Arab world.

He called on Arabs and Muslims to "make the alliance accept a cease-fire."

"This is a war against all Arabs and Muslims and not only against Iraq," the king said in an emotional televised speech to his nation.

"The real purpose behind this destructive war . . . is to destroy Iraq and rearrange the area," putting it under "foreign hegemony," said the king, who has been a bulwark of pro-Western moderation for his 37 years on the throne.

Without mentioning him by name, Hussein also tore into President Bush by denouncing Bush's claim that the conflict is a "just war" to defend a new world order.

"The talk about a new world order whose early feature is the destruction of Iraq . . . leads us to wonder about the identity of this order and instills in us doubts about its nature," the king said.

Bush immediately rejected the king's cease-fire call. Referring to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Bush said, "There will be nothing of that nature until this man commences a credible, unilateral withdrawal and then we'll see what happens."

King Hussein's speech echoed the strong pro-Iraqi sentiments of his 3.4 million subjects, many of whom are Palestinians.

Hussein's speech provoked deep concern in neighboring Israel. A government official called it "the most comprehensive and most aggressively pro-Iraqi speech" by Hussein since the beginning of the crisis. He said it was seen as signaling the end of Jordanian neutrality and a switch to complete support for Iraq.

Israel has worried about Jordan from the outset of the crisis, and has sent Hussein repeated public and private appeals to rein in the Muslim radicals who are gaining strength in his kingdom.

The two countries share Israel's longest border, and the 20-year unofficial peace between Israel and Jordan is critical to Israel's defense posture.

In his speech, the king used potent Arab and Muslim themes to lash the allied powers, and even more to denounce the Arabs fighting alongside them.

"How shamed will be the Arabs who let Arab blood be spilled in this unjust war," Hussein said.

by CNB