"A Recipe for Disaster"

By Dean Fischer, Murray J. Gart King Hussein.

On the 35th anniversary of his accession to the throne, Jordan's King Hussein, 52, spoke with TIME Cairo Bureau Chief Dean Fischer and Senior Correspondent Murray J. Gart about the turmoil engulfing the Middle East:

On the Palestinian uprising. I don't believe it was something planned or organized outside the territories. It was an uprising of the people -- the elderly, the young, the women. And it continues.

On its consequences. If no action is taken to resolve the Palestinian problem, by the turn of the century the Arab population in Palestine will be almost equal to the Jewish population. But the Arab population will be full of bitterness as a result of unjust treatment and denial of their rights. This is a recipe for disaster.

On Soviet policy. We find the Soviet attitude concerned, interested and constructive. We are hopeful of a visit by the Soviet Foreign Minister, but we don't know when it will take place.

On Arab unity. The Arab position is much more clear than it has ever been. What we are talking about now is an international conference of all the parties to the conflict. An invitation will go to the P.L.O. as the representative of the people of Palestine. Jordan will attend as a sovereign state. We are ready to attend in a joint delegation with Palestinians.

On the Iran-Iraq war. The war remains a threat not only to those two countries but to the entire gulf region. Beyond that, it has threatened a sacred element in Muslim life, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Last year 400 people died in clashes. The statements of leaders in Iran suggest that this could be repeated this year.

On Khalil al-Wazir's death. He was a man of moral integrity, a man of his word. He commanded a lot of respect and affection among those who followed him. I think his loss will be felt within the P.L.O. But I believe the uprising will continue.

On Israel's role. I have a feeling that the trend in Israel now is toward greater extremism because they fear that Israeli Palestinians and Palestinians in the occupied territories are getting together. I hope this will change to a clearer vision of what is at stake and what needs to be done. Without jeopardizing their rights, we could be on the verge of giving them the kind of life and the kind of peace that they have never imagined.