- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jordan,
opposed like other Arab states to an attack on Iraq, on Monday ruled out
any use of Jordanian bases for a military operation.
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- Foreign Minister Marwan al-Muasher, speaking at an event
organized by the Council on Foreign Relations, also dismissed the idea
that the United States could quickly make Iraq democratic after overthrowing
President Saddam Hussein.
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- "We have not been asked to use our bases. We will
not (let others) use our bases and we have made that absolutely clear.
That will result in destabilizing Jordan, that will result in internal
trouble and no country, certainly not the United States, is interested
in doing that," he said.
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- The U.S. military has started planning for an attack
on Iraq and U.S. media reports have quoted U.S. officials as saying that
Jordan might be a point of access to neighboring Iraq.
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- But Muasher, whose government is one of Washington's
closest friends in the Arab world, indicated that Jordan was deeply skeptical
about U.S. plans, especially on the idea of imposing a democratic government
in Baghdad.
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- White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice
said in an interview published on Monday that the United States would expect
a post-Saddam government to be "at least on the road to democratic
development."
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- She said the United States also wants to encourage "reformist
elements" in Arab countries such as Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan, all
of which are friendly to Washington.
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- But Muasher said: "I haven't yet seen a plan of
the day after (the overthrow of Saddam) that looks even halfway credible.
It's going to be much easier to change the regime in Iraq than to install
a new one."
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- "You don't inject democracy in a country. It is
a culture that evolves. This notion of somehow rearranging the region and
changing regimes and systems of government in a way that fits the interests
of the United States is indeed a very scary notion and I hope that it does
not become U.S. policy at any time in the future," the minister added.
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- Muasher predicted deep anger among ordinary Arabs if
the United States does attack Iraq without U.N. support.
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- President Bush has asked the United Nations to assert
its authority by making Iraq disarm but he has also reserved the right
to act alone if the United Nations cannot.
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- "The (Arab) street no doubt will be very angry and
very opposed to a war ... because the street will look at this as a war
between America and the Arabs, a war between America and Muslims,"
the Jordanian minister said.
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- "This is another reason why it is very important
that it is the U.N. which takes these decisions. If the war goes on for
a long time, our ability to deal with the street is going to become increasingly
more difficult," he added.
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- The Arab position is that only the United Nations has
the authority to dictate Iraqi behavior. But Muasher declined to say what
Jordan would recommend if the United Nations fails.
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- Arab governments say their priority is to end the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, which turned more violent at the weekend when Israel besieged
the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, after two suicide
bombings.
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- "The region cannot afford another war. We should
do everything we can to avert a conflict," Muasher said.
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