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

DATE: FRIDAY, February 8, 1991                   TAG: 9102080352
SECTION: NATL/INTL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

U.S. PREPARES CUT IN AID AFTER SPEECH

The United States moved to cut aid to Jordan Thursday after a bitter speech by King Hussein Wednesday that condemned the allied coalition's war against Iraq and appeared to side with Saddam Hussein.

State Department spokeswoman Kim Hoggard said officials were "reviewing" this year's aid package to Jordan, which includes $35 million in economic and $20 million in military assistance. An administration official said "review" meant an aid reduction was being considered.

The move to penalize Jordan came despite belief within the administration that the alternative to King Hussein's fragile regime would be worse, since it likely would be dominated by Palestinians and fundamentalists.

Testifying on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State James Baker said King Hussein was on "the wrong side," but noted the strong pressure the king is under from his country's large pro-Iraq Palestinian population.

Deterioration in relations between the United States and Jordan accelerated recently when Jordan complained of allied bombs killing its truck drivers in Iraq. The United States said that Iraq was using civilian convoys as a cover to transport military supplies.

Jordan's minister of information said Thursday the king's speech represented no change in policy, and that the remarks should be viewed together with his previous criticism of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

by CNB