World leaders Pay Last Respects to Hussein
A galaxy of world leaders gathered in Amman yesterday to join Jordanians in an emotional farewell to King Hussein, killed by cancer after 47 years as a pillar of stability in the turbulent Middle East.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, defying his doctors to pay his last respects one week after hospital treatment for a bleeding stomach ulcer, arrived to join mourners. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, US President Bill Clinton and dozens of other leaders were at the funeral. Chinese Ambassador Liu Baolai to Jordan was also there as a special envoy of the Chinese government.
Flags on every embassy in the desert kingdom's capital flew at half mast ahead of the funeral, which was set for 11:50 am, 24 hours after Hussein died.
Jordan's 4.6 million people, many of them hysterical with grief at Hussein's passing.
*Jordanian 19-year-old prince Hamza Sunday was named as the new crown prince of Jordan at a royal meeting chaired by the new King Abdullah Bin Hussein.
The decision was taken upon the last will of late King Hussein, who died Sunday morning after losing a seven-month battle against lymphatic cancer.
WorldNews 1999-02-09 Page6
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