Linkage of Three Wars Envisioned

Whudda thunk? Jordan's King Abdullah II comes up with "Theory of Everything" or maybe better phrased ... "Theory of Everyone" ... at war!!!

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has warned us rather emphatically that three civil wars could break out in the Middle East unless the international community takes urgent action. Maybe Abdullah is searching for the elusive "Theory of Everything" and should be/have been a physicist.

Speaking on US TV, he said the following:

[Quote from Seattle Post Intelligencer]

Conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories could spin out of control. King Abdullah is this week hosting both the US president and the Iraqi prime minister for talks against a backdrop of escalating violence in Iraq. The issue also featured when the Iraqi president visited Iran yesterday.

The trip was due to take place at the weekend, but was delayed due to the curfew imposed after a series of deadly car bombings in Baghdad last week. They were the bloodiest attacks since the US-led invasion of 2003. “We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands,” King Abdullah told ABC television.

It is time that we really take a strong step forward as part of the international community and make sure we avert the Middle East from a tremendous crisis that I fear and I see could possibly happen in 2007.” A tentative ceasefire for the Gaza Strip is currently in place, but King Abdullah said the central issue in the region remained the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Palestine is the core,” he said. “It is linked to the extent of what’s going on in Iraq.”

“It is linked to what’s going on in Lebanon. It is linked to the issues that we find ourselves with the Syrians. So, if you want to do comprehensive – comprehensive means bringing all the parties of the region together.”

Tensions in Lebanon between pro- and anti-Syrian groups in parliament have also escalated recently with the killing on Tuesday of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel. King Abdullah will host US President George W Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in Amman later this week. He said the US should look at the big picture in seeking a resolution to the problems in Iraq and bring in all of the region, including Syria and Iran. He said if a regional peace process did not develop soon, “there won’t be anything to talk about”.

Pressure is growing on the Bush administration to include Iran and Syria in helping curb the violence in neighbouring Iraq. Last week, Syria restored diplomatic ties with Baghdad after a long freeze.

The Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is also heading for Tehran on Monday for talks that have been delayed by the security crisis in Baghdad, where more than 200 people were killed on Thursday in a series of attacks.

On Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his government would be prepared to assist if the US stops “bullying” Tehran, which rejects Washington’s allegations that it is seeking to build nuclear weapons.

[End of quote]