US News

Obama in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II

AMMAN, Jordan — The civil war in Syria and the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees over the border into neighboring Jordan are expected to be the focus of talks Friday between President Barack Obama and Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

More than 400,000 refugees have crossed into Jordan to escape two years of bloodshed at home, crowding refugee camps and overwhelming aid agencies run by this important US ally in the Middle East. Abdullah has voice fears that extremists and terrorists could create a regional base in his country.

Obama also will seek to bolster Jordan’s efforts to reform its government in an attempt to stave off an Arab Spring-style revolution that has led to the downfall of longtime leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

Obama arrived in Jordan on Friday evening, the final stop on a four-day visit to the Middle East that included his first stop in Israel as president.

After Air Force One touched down at Queen Alia International Airport in the capital of Amman, Obama was greeted on the red-carpeted tarmac by US and Jordanian officials before the half-hour drive by motorcade to al-Hummar Palace. There, he and Abdullah reviewed the troops assembled in a courtyard, including some sitting on camels, before they retired inside for meetings. Large US and Jordanian flags flapped in the wind.

“I apologize for the delay,” Obama told Abdullah upon arrival, about an hour behind schedule after leaving Israel. “We ended up having a dust storm.”

The two were holding a joint news conference after the meeting, and then reuniting for dinner. On Saturday, Obama planned several hours of sightseeing, a tour of the fabled ancient city of Petra before the return trip to the White House.