Jordan's King Abdullah heads to Britain

Jordan’s King Abdullah today flew to London for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair on the future of Iraq and how to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Abdullah has repeatedly said that ignoring the Palestinian issue at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict was a serious threat to regional security and to world peace.

He has supported the so-called “road map” to Palestinian statehood created by the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations.

Jordan fears that if Palestinian-Israeli violence escalates, it could spill over into Jordan, where more than half the five million population come from Palestinian families who fled or were driven out of their homes in two wars with Israel since 1948.

Wedged between Iraq to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west, the tiny Arab kingdom also fears for its security following the downfall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Abdullah’s wife Queen Rania and his foreign minister, Marwan Muasher, joined him on the trip to London. The king is due to fly on to the US for similar discussions with Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and other senior officials.

Muasher will also meet UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York.