King Abdullah

      Citing the risks of further delay, Jordan's King Abdullah II said Wednesday the United States must take the lead in creating conditions for a permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Speaking to a joint meeting of Congress, Abdullah said that history has shown no progress in Middle East peacemaking is possible without American leadership. "We look to you to play a historic role," he said, adding that results are needed "not in one year or five years but this year."Your responsibility today is paramount, potential to help Palestinians and Israelis find peace is unrivalled. The ground work for a comprehensive, final settlement is already in place. "No more bloodshed, no more lives pointlessly taken," Abdullah declared.Abdullah made no direct reference to Hamas, to the current divisions in the Palestinian leadership or to recent efforts by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to revive peace efforts. Instead, he spoke of the suffering that both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered. At one point, he lamented "the 40 years of occupation" that he said Palestinians have endured. "The goal must be a peace in which all sides gain," he said. "There must be a peace in which Israelis will be part of the neighborhood." His comments on the Middle East issue before his departure for Washington were far more critical of Israel than the ones he delivered on Wednesday, media reported. (10,22)