U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry briefed senior Arab officials Wednesday on his efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and on American views of the crises and Syria and Egypt. On his sixth trip to the region in as many months as America's top diplomat, Kerry met in Jordan with representatives of the Arab League and nine of its members that support a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace plan. In addition to the peace process, Kerry was updating the Arabs on U.S. support for the Syrian opposition and attempts to convene an international conference to establish a transition government there, as well as Washington's position on Egypt's political turmoil. The gathering came a day after Kerry had a five-hour dinner meeting in Amman with President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine. Officials said Kerry and Abbas discussed the way forward and projects aimed at bolstering the Palestinian economy. Kerry said Tuesday after talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh that he wanted to see a Syrian refugee camp, and it appeared likely that if such a visit is arranged, it would happen Thursday before he is scheduled to return to the United States. Judeh said Kerry had expressed concern about the economic impact the humanitarian crisis in Syria has had in Jordan, which hosts more than a half million displaced Syrians, according to a report of the Associated Press. Later Wednesday, Kerry is to meet Jordan's King Abdullah II and then brief reporters at a news conference with Judeh.
