Jordan Islamists urge Arab world to drop hopes about Obama

Amman - Jordan's largest political party, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), Thursday urged Arab countries to stop "betting" on the administration of the US President Barack Obama. The party said its call was prompted by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodhman Clinton having "adopted" the attitude of the right- wing Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The US administration's adoption of the attitudes of the extremist, Zionist government makes it imperative for Arab countries to review their positions and depend on their own capabilities instead of betting on the will of others to bring about changes," IAF spokesman Mohammad Bozour said in a statement.

"Clinton's statements revealed the false promises of the US administration which tried to sell Arabs mere illusions that failed to stand the first test," he added.

Bozour alluded to Clinton's statement after meeting Netanyahu earlier this week during her regional tour that the Israeli premier was making "unprecedented" concessions regarding the controversial issue of settlement building in East Jerusalem and other occupied Palestinian territories.

Clinton went further to urge Palestinians to return to the negotiating table with Israel even before freezing the construction of settlements which emerged over the past few months as a key Arab and Palestinian demand.

"The humiliating backdown by the US administration versus Netanyahu's stubbornness and going further to praise his attitudes will not help improve the US image vis-à-vis Arab and Islamic peoples, one of the key objectives which Obama sought to accomplish," Bozour said.