Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 19 January 2018

Pence visit showcases dilemma facing Egypt, Jordan leaders

By HAMZA HENDAWI progress in Mideast peace
ALICE SU efforts. Egypt’s president,
Associated Press Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, reas-
CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Vice sured Abbas on Wednes-
President Mike Pence’s up- day of Cairo’s continued
coming visit to the Middle efforts to secure an inde-
East comes at a time of in- pendent Palestinian state
tensely publicized friction with east Jerusalem as its
between his administration capital, according to a
and the Palestinian leader- statement by presidential
ship, posing a dilemma for spokesman Bassem Radi.
his Arab hosts — Egypt’s That may in part have
president and Jordan’s been designed to put to
king — on how to safe- rest the fallout from a New
guard their vital ties with York Times report last week
Washington without ap- which claimed that while
pearing to ignore Palestin- Egypt publicly condemned
ian misgivings. Trump’s Jerusalem deci-
Both countries are heavily sion, it privately supported
dependent on U.S. military the move. El-Sissi has re-
and economic aid, and peatedly appealed to
talks with a senior Trump U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks to reporters in a hangar at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Trump to be more involved
administration official like Pence’s upcoming visit to the Mideast comes at a time of friction between his administration in the fight against Islamic
and the Palestinian leadership, posing a dilemma for Arab hosts Egypt and Jordan on how to
Pence offer them an op- safeguard their vital ties with Washington without appearing to ignore Palestinian misgivings. militancy in the region. With
portunity to strengthen (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP) his security forces struggling
those ties. It’s a tall order published recently, the for- a gate for peace only if it Tayeb and Tawadros II re- to contain an insurgency by
given that Pence is visiting mer foreign minister and is Palestine’s capital, and it spectively — also canceled an Islamic State affiliate in
at a time of rising anti-U.S. Arab league chief warned will be a gate of war, fear their meetings with him. Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, the
sentiments in the region, that making concessions and the absence of security The U.S.-Palestinian crisis general-turned president
stoked by President Donald on the Palestinian issue and stability, God forbid, if has escalated since, with will show little willingness to
Trump’s recognition of con- would be a “gross strategic it is not.”Pence was to have Abbas publicly attacking allow anything to diminish
tested Jerusalem as Israel’s mistake.” visited the region in mid- Trump this week over what what he sees as a strategic
capital. The city is home to Palestinian leader Mah- December, but resched- he fears is an emerging U.S. alliance with Washington.
major Muslim sites, along moud Abbas, who has uled as Trump’s dramatic plan to propose a Palestin- Sounding a realistic note,
with Christian and Jew- openly cursed Trump over policy shift on Jerusalem ian mini-state in only some Abbas aide Ahmed Ma-
ish shrines, and its Israeli- his Jerusalem decision, just a few days earlier trig- of the land Israel captured jdalani said the Palestin-
annexed eastern sector is showed just how deep the gered Arab condemnation in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war ians did not expect Arab
sought by the Palestinians gap is between him and and region-wide protests. and without a foothold in countries to follow suit in
as the capital of a future the United States after At the time, Abbas said he Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the their strong response to
state. Egypt’s elder states- Trump’s decision. Address- would not receive Pence in Trump administration on Trump’s Jerusalem’s deci-
man, Amr Moussa, warned ing a Cairo conference the biblical city of Bethle- Tuesday said it was sharply sion. At the same time, he
Arab leaders against alter- Wednesday, he repeated hem, as originally planned, reducing funding to a U.N. explained, they don’t be-
ing their longstanding ob- that Washington removed and the spiritual leaders of aid agency serving millions lieve the Trump administra-
jective: A Palestinian state itself from its role as an Egypt’s Muslims and Ortho- of Palestinian refugees and tion will win support for any
with east Jerusalem as its honest peace broker. He dox Christians — Al-Azhar’s their descendants, blaming peace plan that weakens
capital. In a jarring article added: “Jerusalem will be Grand Imam Ahmed al- the Palestinians for lack of Arab ties to Jerusalem.q

Australia PM: Olympic unity won’t denuclearize North Korea

By MARI YAMAGUCHI long habit of ratcheting up Turnbull said pressure and
Associated Press their militarization and then, sanctions against North
TOKYO (AP) — Australian you know, going into a lull Korea over its weapons
Prime Minister Malcolm for a while trying to per- programs must be main-
Turnbull said Thursday he suade people that they’re tained.
welcomed the recent dia- changing their ways, In a news conference fol-
logue between North and changing nothing and lowing their talks, Turnbull
South Korea but march- then ratcheting up again.” said he and Abe agreed
ing together at the Winter North and South Korea on the importance of en-
Olympics won’t denuclear- held rare talks in a border forcing the sanctions “so
ize the Korean Peninsula. village this week where this regime is brought to its
Turnbull, visiting Japan to they agreed to form their senses and stop threaten-
talk with Prime Minister first unified Olympic team, ing in the manner that it
Shinzo Abe about regional in women’s ice hockey, does the peace and stabil-
security, trade and other and have their athletes pa- ity of our region.”
issues, cautioned against rade together during the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, center, and Japanese Japan and Australia have
optimism. opening ceremony of next counterpart Shinzo Abe, right, are briefed by a Japan Ground been deepening their de-
“We have to be very clear- month’s Winter Olympics in Self-Defense Force officer on a surface-to-air Patriot Advanced fense cooperation amid
eyed about this,” he told South Korea. They’ll present Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile interceptor launcher vehicle and the tensions over North Ko-
reporters. “History tells us the plan to the Internation- a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle at Narashino Exercise rea’s nuclear and missile
Area in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo Thursday,
a very bitter lesson about al Olympic Committee this Jan. 18, 2018. development and China’s
North Korea. They have a weekend in Switzerland. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) expansion in the Pacific.q