"Gov't stresses Prince Hassan's presence at Iraqi opposition meeting a
personal act "
" 'Prince's participation does not represent official policy' "
SUBJECT: Prince Hassan on Iraq.

QUOTE FROM TEXT:
"The government on Saturday (13 July) stressed that HRH Prince
Hassan's participation in a London meeting of former Iraqi officiers and
representatives of Iraqi opposition groups was a personal initiative that
does not represent the Kingdom's official stand"

" `The question is entirely the choice of the Iraqi people.' "
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FULL TEXT:
AMMAN (JT) - The government on Saturday stressed that HRH Prince
Hassan's participation in a London meeting of former Iraqi officers and
representatives of Iraqi opposition groups was a personal initiative that
does not represent the Kingdom's official stand and its position on Iraq.
"The participation of HRH Prince Hassan in the meeting was a personal
act and his attendance of the meeting and the statements attributed to him
do not represent Jordan's official position and HRH has no official position
as he himself made clear at the meeting," Minister of State for Political
Affairs and Minister of Information and government spokesperson Mohammad
Adwan said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Adwan said Prince Hassan's presence at the meeting was a surprise to
the Jordanian leadership.

"We were surprised at the participation, which neither the leadership
nor the government had any prior knowledge of, and which does not conform to
the principled Jordanian stand on brotherly Iraq," Petra quoted Adwan as
saying.

Prince Hassan said Friday he was not representing the government at
the opposition meeting, and had come on a private invitation "as an
observer."

The Prince told reporters there: "I have no agendas at all. I am not
in position to comment on questions about the future. The question is
entirely the choice of the Iraqi people.

[IMRA: But Saddam does not give the people a choice.]

"I'm not giving any signals. I am not a Jordanian government
official."

Addressing the gathering's opening session, Prince Hassan spoke of the
need to preserve Iraq's stability, according to an article published in the
London-based Al Quds Al Arabi newspaper.

He voiced support for "the Iraqis' right to live in democracy,
security and peace," said the paper.

According to the paper, when the Prince was asked if his presence at
the meeting would be interpreted as a show of Jordanian support for the
Iraqi opposition, he answered: "Let them interpret it as they want."

. . .

Adwan renewed Jordan's rejection of any interference in the internal
affairs of Iraq or any other country.

He also warned of placing too much emphasis on the incident,
particularly at a time when there is "talk of scenarios to deal with the
Iraqi issue, including ... a military action."

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Dr, Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA