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Jordan stands by Saddam's daughter
JORDAN insisted yesterday that deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter would remain under its protection, despite calls from authorities in Baghdad for her extradition.Jordanian Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit said no formal extradition request had been received from Iraq following the naming of Raghad Saddam Hussein as Baghdad's 16th most wanted fugitive. Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie called for Jordan, a US ally, to hand over Ms Hussein. But Mr Bakhit said the ousted Iraqi president's daughter had complied with the conditions of her asylum in Jordan and that she remained under the protection of the royal family of King Abdullah II. "She is the guest of the Hashemite royal family and under its protection as a seeker of asylum", in accordance with Arab tradition, he said. Ms Hussein had heeded demands that she refrain from "any political or media activities", Mr Bakhit said, contradicting accusations by Mr Rubaie that she was a financial supporter of the insurgents in Iraq. "These people are responsible for most of the bombings and indiscriminate killings aimed at hurting the Iraqi people and starting a sectarian war between Sunnis and Shi'ites," Mr Rubaie said as he presented a new list naming 41 Iraqis as wanted by the Baghdad Government. The list includes Saddam's wife Sajida, who lives in the Gulf state of Qatar, as well as the Amman-based Ms Hussein. But the ousted Iraqi leader's defence team dismissed the accusations against the two women as "totally without legal basis". Lead counsel Khalil al-Dulaimi described the accusations of bankrolling the insurgency made against Saddam's daughter as absurd, saying: "If she had the financial means, she would have financially supported the defence team." The new Iraqi wanted list was topped by Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, who was number two in Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council in Saddam's regime. He is the highest-ranking Iraqi official still on the run. Washington has put a bounty of $US10million ($13.6 million) on the head of Mr Duri, who is said to be suffering from leukemia and who has in the past been reported to have died or been captured. "He is likely still an operational leader with close ties to other insurgents," according to the list. Mr Rubaie called for regional support in helping to track down fugitive suspects. "Neighbouring countries must help Iraq and hand over those terrorists living within their territories," he said. "Those who are outside must be handed over to Iraqi justice. We have evidence on every single one of them." Jordan has had difficult relations with the Shia-led Government installed in Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003. The prominent role played by some Jordanians in the Sunni insurgency, notably by the late al-Qa'ida frontman Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has fanned anti-Jordanian sentiment among Iraq's Shia majority. And King Abdullah has angered the Baghdad authorities by warning of the mounting influence of Shia Iran in Iraq, Jordan's eastern neighbour. Many on the new Iraqi wanted list were officials of the old regime who were in the US "deck of cards" of its 55 most wanted suspects released after the 2003 invasion, but who have yet to be captured. The list includes al-Qa'ida's new Iraq frontman, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, at No30, with a $US50,000 price on his head, as well as Abdullah al-Janabi, the former head of the Mujahideen Shura Council, an al-Qa'ida insurgent alliance. The US State Department authorised a reward of up to $US5million on Friday for information leading to the capture of the new al-Qa'ida leader in Iraq, whom it refers to as Abu Ayub al-Masri. Posted by: tipper 2006-07-03 |
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