A Conversation with King Abdullah of Jordan

During a turbulent week in the Middle East, King Abdullah of Jordan sat down with Newsweek-The Washington Post's Lally Weymouth in Petra last Thursday to talk about the prospects for Arab-Israeli peace, Iran's suspected nuclear program and the outlook for Jordan's war-torn neighbor, Iraq. Excerpts:

Q. Is [the] Annapolis [peace process] dead?

A. I'm actually very concerned since President Bush's visit to the region, to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. I think the peace process has lost credibility in people's minds in this area. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been in the region and is working very closely with the Israelis and the Palestinians to move the process forward. . . . We're all very pessimistic at this stage.

Do you view Iran as the number one threat in this region?

I think the lack of peace [between Israel and the Palestinians] is the major threat. I don't see the ability of creating a two-state solution beyond 2008, 2009. [And] I think this is really the last chance. If this fails, I think this is going to be the major threat for the Middle East: Are we going to go for another 60 years of "fortress Israel," or are we going to have a neighborhood where Israel is actually incorporated? That is our major challenge, and I am very concerned that the clock is ticking and that the door is closing on all of us.

But aren't you concerned that Iran is a threat both to your country and to other countries in the region?

Iran poses issues to certain countries, although I have noticed over the past month or so that the dynamics have changed quite dramatically, and for the first time I think maybe I can say that Iran is less of a threat. But if the peace process doesn't move forward, then I think that extremism will continue to advance over the moderate stands that a lot of countries take. We've reached a crossroads, and I'm not too sure what direction we're heading in.

Do you think that radicalism has triumphed over moderation in this region?

If we don't win on the peace process, if we don't have a two-state [Israeli-Palestinian] solution, then definitely there'll be more turmoil and more instability. And I think that it may send the wrong message to extremists -- that the only way to perpetuate their philosophy is through conflict. Now when it comes to Iran, I am quite supportive of what I see in Europe and the West -- people who want to engage. We're a country and a region that I think supports dialogue as opposed to conflict. Again, if there is conflict, with Iran in this particular case, I'm not too sure where this is going to lead us. I think you're playing with Pandora's box. And we've had enough crises in this part of the world.