Growing isolation for Jordan

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32665, 22 July 1971, Page 15

Growing isolation for Jordan

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright!

BEIRUT, July 21.

Jordan is today finding itself in growing isolation, the Associated Press reports. Voices in the Arab world are becoming louder in disagreement on the latest Jordanian Army action against the Palestinian guerrillas and more disapproving of Jordan’s repudiation of two agreements regulating the relations between the authorities in Amman and the guerrillas.

As Libya repeated calls for an urgent Arab sununit meeting to deal with the fighting in Jordan, a flurry of diplomatic activity appeared to be shaping up in the Arab world to save the remnants of the badlybeaten guerrillas.

After an emergency meeting in Cairo, Egypt announced its support to Libya’s call and urged “deci-

sive action” by the Arab States.

Syria, which had adopted a relatively soft stand against the action in contrast with its postings in previous rounds of fighting in Jordan, cast away its mediating role and charged the Jordanian Army with shelling Syrian border posts. A broadcast over Damascus Radio said that "the aggressive acts and provocations will only stiffen our determination to take whatever measures are needed to support the Palestinian commando movement.”

Iraq, which had its borders with Jordan shut off and air space closed to Jordanian commercial flights, asked Jordan to withdraw its ambassador from Baghdad. Similar actions from Syria would cut off Jotdan’s foreign trade routes through the Lebanon. A Syrian military delegation was recalled to Damascus after a week-long fruitless effort to reconcile the Jordanian Army and the Palestinian guerrillas.

Kuwait and Lebanon welcomed the call from the Libyan strongman, Colonel Moammar Kaddafi, who is leading the campaign against Jordan.

So did King Hussein of Jordan himself, but he is not

among the Arab heads of State who were invited by Colonel Kaddafi.

A desperate note of agreement also came from the over-all guerrilla chieftain, Mr Yasser Arafat, who is directing what could well become the last stand of his men in Jordan from the Syrian border town of Deraa. At the same time "the voice of the Palestinian Revolution” the guerrilla radio in Bagdad, told Colonel Kaddafi that it was not enough to convene an Arab summit meeting. “Kaddafi. you are required to close the borders, ports and airports. You are required to act immediately to close Jordanian embassies and interests in the Arab capitals” the radio said.