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CNN Live At Daybreak

The Symbolism Behind King Abdullah's Visit to England

Aired November 07, 2001 - 05:34   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well British Prime Minister Tony Blair is in Washington today for talks with President Bush. In fact, he's taking the Concord over. Jordan's King Abdullah is in Britain on an official state visit.

As CNN's Margaret Lowrie reports, the friendly visit from the Arab world could not have come at a better time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARGARET LOWRIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: King Abdullah in Britain, a visit scheduled before September 11th, in its wake acquiring an added symbolism.

THOMAS WITHINGTON, DEFENSE ANALYST: The prime minister will be hoping to use it to further shore up the coalition against terrorism and support for the current allied military structure in Afghanistan. However, one thing that we do know is that relations between Britain and Jordan are already quite warm.

LOWRIE: In fact, Prime Minister Tony Blair's meeting with King Abdullah in Oman was one of the few highlights on an otherwise disappointing trip he made to the Middle East last week. Mr. Blair, a fiercely articulate spokesman for the international coalition against terror, went to the region to meet key Arab and Israeli leaders, in a bid to address concerns over the U.S.-led bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

His talks in Syria and Saudi Arabia were viewed as something of a public relations disaster.

WITHINGTON: He certainly did receive quite an air bashing from the Syrians, for instance. The Saudi Arabians were characteristically poker faced about the entire trip. You know, preferring not to make any great statements of support or any great statements of a condemnation either way.

LOWRIE: Like his father, the late King Hussein, King Abdullah is seen as a faithful friend of the West. Jordan has reason to fear Osama bin Laden's terror network al Qaeda. Analysts say Jordanian intelligence has been gathering information on it for years.

They foiled a planned attack set for the millennium celebrations and uncovered another plot this year that allegedly targeted King Abdullah himself. Later this week, the king will address both houses of the British Parliament and meet privately with Mr. Blair.

For those waging a war mostly out of camera range, this visit of a friendly Muslim leader couldn't come at a better time, helping, they hope, to reinforce the message that this is not a war against Muslims, but a united campaign against terrorists.

Margaret Lowrie, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: King Abdullah's visit in the U.K. is certain to grab a few headlines, and Mideast analyst Amir Taheri is here to talk about some of them and to be writing some of them as well. Amir frequently writes about the Middle East and Iran for a variety of newspapers and sir, it's a pleasure to have you with us this morning from Atlanta and I'll say ...

AMIR TAHERI, MID EAST ANALYST: Thank you.

KAGAN: ... good afternoon to you in London. Good to have you with us. Fascinating picture ...

TAHERI: Good morning to you.

KAGAN: Thank you. We have a little bit of a satellite delay so that might affect our discussion a little bit. But I was just going to say: fascinating picture there to see in that carriage ride, Queen Elizabeth sitting next to King Abdullah, both the Muslim world and the Western world, the future, a leader who's been in -- who has had her place on the throne for 50 years -- a lot of contrast there.

TAHERI: Absolutely. Also don't forget that King Abdullah through his father, the late King Hussein, is a descendant of the prophet Mohammed, the prophet of Islam. Therefore it adds another dimension, a very important symbolic dimension to this visit to show that this war is not between Christianity and Islam, but between part of, if you like, the Islamic world that has abandoned the right parts and the rest of the world.

KAGAN: That message has been a very tough sell in the Muslim world. How can the king help in getting that across besides just his visit to Britain?

TAHERI: Well he has been really the only Arab leader -- in fact the only Muslim leader to give unqualified support to the efforts to root out terrorism in Afghanistan. But his visit is also related to a number of practical points. There is an U.N. plan for Afghanistan -- that U.N. plan would require a peace-keeping troops and the only countries under discussion to provide those troops would be Jordan, Morocco and Malaysia, because the Muslim countries that neighbor Afghanistan are excluded and other Arab countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia are also excluded because many militants came from those countries. So Jordan could play a very important role alongside Malaysia and Morocco to provide the U.N. troops needed to ensure a peaceful transition from the Taliban to a post-Taliban regime in Kabul. KAGAN: By stepping out, by giving this unqualified support, by making visits like he is making now to Britain, what does he risk both at home and in the Muslim world?

TAHERI: Well he risks, of course, a lot of (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He would be attacked by some extremists, but the fact is that in the Muslim world, if a leader shows a strong leadership he is respected. The worst thing is to appear weak and undecided and without any convictions. You know, in the Muslim world you can not practice politics as you do in the West on the basis of consensus, pluralism and the wishy-washy arrangements and so on. The Muslims like decisive leaders and their clear positions. Even if they don't agree with it, they will respect it. There is much more respect for power in the Muslim world, in the political sense, than there is in the West.

KAGAN: And how do you think this king is affected by the legacy of his father, King Hussein, who was an outspoken man in the -- in the world of Middle East peace?

TAHERI: Well he has inherited a good part of his father's character, that is he's outspoken, he's decisive, and he's very close to his people. So I think he's continuing the same path. Jordan is a very small country, but it has been able to play a major role in the Middle East precisely because of the path chosen by King Hussein so many years ago. Because the path of understanding and cooperation with the Western world without abandoning Jordan's Islamic principles and values.

KAGAN: And real quickly, we just saw a picture of his wife, Queen Ronia. She brings a certain symbolism as a Palestinian herself.

TAHERI: Absolutely, because two-thirds of the Jordanian citizens are of Palestinian origin and there is quite a story recently, you know tens of thousands of Palestinians have been leaving Palestine itself and going to Jordan in the -- because of the recent conflict. So it is kind of second home to the Palestinians and of course Queen Ronia being of Palestinian origin herself symbolizes that and adds to King Abdullah's strong position at home.

KAGAN: Amir Taheri, thank you so much for your insight today. Appreciate the visit. Thank you so much.

TAHERI: Thank you very much.

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