The refusal of King Hussein of Jordan to drop his demand for an international conference to negotiate a Middle East peace agreement is being blamed here for Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy’s failure to agree on a meeting with a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation.
Murphy, who heads the State Department’s Near Eastern and South Asian Bureau, returns to Washington tomorrow after six days in the Mideast where he met with leaders of Jordan, Israel and Egypt. He is scheduled to report to President Reagan and Secretary of State George Shultz, both vacationing in California, according to State Department deputy spokesman Charles Redman.
While Redman did not place the onus directly on Jordan, he was implicit in his comment. “The main point we have stressed continually is that the meeting with this group (the joint delegation) must be a step in the process which leads to our ultimate goal which is direct negotiations between all the parties,” Redman said.
NO FINAL DECISION ON THE LIST
He said that there has been “no final decision” on the list submitted by Hussein to Washington of Palestinians for U.S. approval as the Palestinian representatives on the joint delegation. But Redman stressed that the problem now is “less a question of the list” and more of how a meeting by the U.S. with the joint delegation would “advance” the process “to our ultimate goal of direct negotiations” between Israel and Jordan and the Palestinians.
The U.S. has indicated that if Washington’s conditions are met it would meet with the joint delegation even though Israel objects to the meeting as an unnecessary step before direct negotiations and fears that it may lead to a U.S. recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Shultz, in a message to Israeli Premier Shimon Peres last week, sought to reassure Israel, stressing that the U.S. will not consider the meeting as a dialogue with the PLO. However, PLO spokesmen have said that they would view U.S. agreement to meet with the joint delegation as a first step toward U.S. recognition of the PLO. Most of the seven Palestinians on the list, which was drawn up by PLO leader Yasir Arafat, are members of the PLO.
Murphy did not meet with any Palestinans during his latest visit to the Mideast, Redman said.
Meanwhile, Redman said that “deliberations are continuing” within the Administration on arms requests from Jordan and Saudi. He said Congress will be consulted on the final decision. However, a majority in the House and Senate are opposed to any such arms sales unless Jordan agrees to direct negotiations with Israel.
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