    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [February 7, 1999]
    [Pages 178-179]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Death of King Hussein I of
    Jordan
    February 7, 1999

        Today the world mourns the loss of one of its great leaders, King
    Hussein of Jordan. I mourn the loss of a partner and friend. He was a
    magnificent man. And like so many, I loved and admired him.
        King Hussein once wrote, ``I believe we must live with courage and
    will. I must do so because, regardless of any difficulties I face, when
    the time comes for me to lose my life, I would at least have done my
    best.''
        He did far better than that. A humble man and a king; a leader whose
    nobility came not from his title but his character; a man who believed
    that we are all God's children, bound to live together in mutual respect
    and tolerance--King Hussein was ennobled. Many times his life was
    threatened, but each brush with mortality ennobled him. He learned that
    God only gives us a limited number of opportunities and that we must
    make the most of them. Surely, he did.
        As he survived, Jordan survived. He grew in wisdom, and so did
    Jordan. He grew in stature, and so did Jordan. He won the respect and
    admiration of the entire world, and so did his beloved Jordan.
        We remember his voice, each word slowly said, followed by a pause, a
    moment for silent reflection, as if he were reminding us that it is wise
    to think before we speak, to speak before we act. His manner was as
    strong and calming as his message.
        We remember him piloting his plane, traveling wherever his cause
    took him; flying at night in the years when courage and stealth were
    required just to speak to one's enemies; soaring in the sunlight above
    Jerusalem when the peace he forged with Israel made that possible again.

    [[Page 179]]

        He once said, ``The beauty of flying high in the skies will always,
    to me, symbolize freedom.'' King Hussein lived his life on a higher
    plane, with the aviator's gift of seeing beyond the low-flying obstacles
    of hatred and mistrust that heartbreak and loss place in all our paths.
    He spent his life fighting for the dignified aspirations of his people
    and all Arab people. He worked all his life to build friendship between
    the Jordanian and American people. He dedicated the final years of his
    life to the promise not only of coexistence but of partnership between
    the Arab world and Israel.
        Indeed, he understood what must be clear now to anyone who has flown
    above the Middle East and seen in one panorama at sunset the lights of
    Amman and Tel Aviv and Damascus shining in the sky, that in the
    relationship among peoples who share this small, sacred corner of Earth,
    one thing, and only one, is predestined: All are bound to be neighbors.
    The question is not whether they will live side by side, but how. God
    willing, soon all will see what he saw and preached: There can be no
    peace, no dignity, no security of any of Abraham's children until there
    is peace, dignity, and security for all of them.
        During the Wye summit, when the talks were not going so well, he
    came out within a few short minutes and changed the tenor of the
    meeting. Though frail with fighting for his own life, he gave life to
    the process many felt was failing. The smallest man in the room that day
    was the largest; the frailest was the strongest. The man with the least
    time remaining reminded us we are working not only for ourselves but for
    all eternity.
        To Queen Noor, I extend the heartfelt
    condolences of the American people. At times such as these, words are
    inadequate. But the friendship that joins Jordan and the United States,
    for which your marriage stood and your love still stands, that will
    never fail. You are a daughter of America and a Queen of Jordan. You
    have made two nations very proud. Hillary and I cherish the wonderful
    times we shared with you and His Majesty. And today we say to you, and
    indeed to all the King's large and loving family, our prayers are with
    you.
        We say to his son, the new King Abdullah, we wish you well. Our prayers are with you as you assume
    the mantle of your father and grandfather. And to the people of Jordan,
    again we say, we extend the hand of friendship and partnership.
        The Koran teaches: You belong to God, and you return to Him. Today
    my friend is in Paradise, and God has welcomed home a good and faithful
    servant.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:02 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. The related proclamation of February 7 on the death of King
    Hussein is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.