WASHINGTON (AP) – US President Joe Biden is set to host King Abdullah II of Jordan during one of the most difficult moments in the 22-year rule of Jordan’s leader and a crucial time in the Middle East for Washington.
Abdullah arrived at the White House on Monday afternoon. Last week a Jordanian state security court Sentenced Earlier this year, two former officials were jailed for 15 years for uncovering an alleged conspiracy against the king, which involved Abdullah’s half-brother.
Meanwhile, Biden, who has focused much of his foreign policy early on on China and Russia, faces some tough issues in the Middle East. He is dealing with step-by-step attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias, at the same time that his administration is trying to bring Iran back to the negotiating table to revive the nuclear deal that Donald Trump called left during his presidency.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the meeting would be “an opportunity to discuss the many challenges facing the Middle East and to demonstrate Jordan’s leadership role in promoting peace and stability in the region.”
Abdullah had a difficult relationship with Trump, which he saw as undermining the peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, with Jerusalem declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017. He also followed the Trump administration’s effort in what officials call the Abrahamic Accords – involving Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco that normalizes ties with Israel but excludes the Palestinians.
Biden has no plans to reverse US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital, and his administration has also offered praise for the Trump-broker agreement – a rare example of the Democratic administration’s positive form of policy-making of the former administration. speaking from.
Then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, stand on the Blue Room balcony during the Abraham Accord signing ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House. September 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
According to a senior administration official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, Biden officials plan to push Abdullah to the point that the agreement is in place to find a way to a peace settlement. There are no “final runs” for the United States, including a Palestinian state. .
The two leaders are expected to discuss the situation in Syria – more than 1 million Syrian refugees fleeing the war-torn nation for Jordan – and a worsening security situation in Iraq, the official said. At least eight drone strikes have targeted the US military presence in Iraq, as well as 17 rocket attacks, since Biden took office in January.
Abdullah is the first Arab world leader to meet Biden face-to-face. The president is set to host Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at the White House next week, and Biden has invited Israel’s new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, to visit later this summer.
Abdullah will have breakfast with US Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday and meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
The Oval Office meeting with Biden is also a chance for King to highlight his closeness with Biden after the alleged coup attempt.
Bassem Avdallah, who holds US citizenship and who once served as a top aide to King Abdullah II, and Sharif Hassan bin Zayed, a member of the royal family, were found guilty of charges of treason and abetment. Both men denied the allegations, and Avdallah’s US lawyer said his client alleged he was tortured in Jordan’s detention and feared for his life.
Bassem Avdallah, then director of the office of King Abdullah II of Jordan, attends a ceremony to mark Independence Day in Amman, Jordan, May 25, 2008. (Nadar Dawood/AP)
He is accused of conspiring with the king’s half-brother, Prince Hamza. Biden, who has known Abdullah for years, publicly expressed “strong American support for Jordan” and praised King’s leadership after unveiling details of the coup attempt in April.
Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein are expected to join Abdullah in the White House visit. First Lady Jill Biden will host the Queen’s Tea at the White House.