[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 6 (Monday, February 15, 1999)]
[Page 214]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Death of
King Hussein I of Jordan

February 7, 1999

    Hillary and I are deeply saddened by the news that King Hussein of 
Jordan has passed away. I had prayed this day would not come soon. But 
God has called King Hussein to his reward. The prayers of all Americans 
go out to the royal family and the Jordanian people.
    No words can convey what King Hussein meant to the people he led for 
nearly half a century. Words cannot convey what he meant to me as a 
friend and inspiration. Through good times and bad, through health and 
illness, he showed the power of a strong will applied to a worthy cause. 
It takes a rare kind of courage to be a peacemaker--the courage to learn 
from the past and imagine a better future. When peace finally comes to 
the Middle East, his name will be inscribed upon it. That day, King 
Hussein will smile on us one more time.
    I had the honor of seeing him just a few weeks ago, as he was about 
to return home. There was no hint of the struggle he was waging. 
Instead, he spoke with his usual passion and humanity about Jordan's 
well-being, the future of the Arab world, the Palestinian cause, and 
peace with Israel.
    To Queen Noor, to Crown Prince Abdullah, to the King's family, and 
to the people of Jordan, Hillary and I send our condolences. The United 
States stands with you--today, tomorrow, and in the future. I ask all 
Americans to remember this good man and his family.