The Jordanian ambassador to the United States and Mexico
expressed the need to solve both the Iraqi crisis and the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East in an Executive
Lecture Forum presentation in Jackson Thursday.
According to Dr. Janos Radvanyi, the chairman of International
Security and Strategic Studies at Mississippi State University,
Ambassador Karim Tawfiq Kawar said Jordan stood as a strong ally of
the United States.
“He said the world has to look at the Iraq crisis from a larger
perspective,” Radvanyi said. “He said the larger problem is the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“He [ Jordan] said Jordan was an ally of the United States and
is standing with them, but he would like to see both the Iraqi
conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian problem solved in a peaceful
way if possible. At the same time, he said Jordan does see Saddam
Hussein as a threat,” Radvanyi said.
Radvanyi said Kawar also talked a great deal about the Arabic
view of the United States.
“He said we should realize the majority of the Arabic people are
not anti-American. They accept the American people, but they are
still very worried about the difficulties of the current political
situation,” Radvanyi said. “He feels the Western culture and the
Arabic culture should try to create a global culture where the two
cultures can live together in peace.”
According to Radvanyi, Kawar said his chief mission was to
strengthen economic ties between the United States and Jordan.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, bordered by Israel, Iraq, Saudi
Arabia and Syria, is one of only four countries to have a free
trade agreement with the United States, along with Canada, Mexico
and Israel.
Radvanyi said Kawar seemed to enjoy his stay in Mississippi. He
met with Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck and toured the
capital.
*Editor’s Note: The events hosting Kawar were by invitation
only and could only be reported on through MSU staff member Dr.
Janos Radvanyi.