Jordon calls on US to increase Mideast role

Jordan's King Abdullah II met toady with a US military delegation and urged the US administration to play a more vigorous role…

Jordan's King Abdullah II met toady with a US military delegation and urged the US administration to play a more vigorous role in ending the seven-and-half-months of regional violence and bringing the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

"The king stressed the need to see the United States active in current efforts aimed at restarting peace negotiations and ensuring the protection of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights," a Jordanian official said, recounting the king's meeting with the delegation.

The king - whose own country has been hit by three anti-Israel demonstrations since October, the most recent coming on Friday - added "the region's security and stability will not be realised until the violations of Palestinian and Arab rights come to an end."

Amman proposed last month a peace initiative with Cairo to end the fighting and bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiation table.

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But momentum has stalled in a dispute over the length of a ceasefire before the peace negotiations resume and whether Israel will agree to a freeze on settlement building in the occupied territories.

AFP