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Iraq-Jordan

Iraq recalling envoy from Jordan

2005-03-21

Iraq will recall its ambassador to Jordan in a tit-for-tat move, after Amman withdrew its envoy to protest anti-Jordanian protests, said an Iraqi Foreign Ministry official. Earlier, Jordanian Foreign Minister Hani Mulki said that Amman had recalled its top diplomat in Iraq for consultations after a wave of anti-Jordanian protests. "We have recalled Home for Consultations charge d'affaires Dimai Haddad because the embassy (where he lives) is unsafe for him," said Mulki, adding, "It does not mean that we are shutting down our operations in Iraq but that we suspended them until proper security is guaranteed for the embassy." He said that Haddad was practically under siege at Jordan's embassy, which was targeted daily for the past week by angry Iraqi demonstrators protesting against a recent suicide bombing linked to a Jordanian.

Man, that Arab street is rough.

Anti-Jordanian protests have increased over the past week in Iraqi cities and outside the embassy in Baghdad after some media reports in Iraq and Jordan pinned responsibility for the Hilla bombing on Jordanian Raed el-Banna. The reports said that Banna's family in Jordan held a service for him to honour him as a "martyr" after carrying out the attack that killed at least 118 people and wounded scores on February 28. Banna's family has denied that he was involved in the Hilla attack. His father said his son died and was buried in Mosul and that he had received a call from an unidentified man telling him that his son had died a "martyr" in Iraq.

Posted by:Fred

#7 #4
First of all, on the "What has K Abdullah (of Jordan) done" - well he has kept the border with Israel quiet; he has kept terrorists from using that border; he has prevented smuggling across that border (yes some smuggling does get done but its much less than it could be

which is a hell of a lot more than the Egyptians have done on their border with Gaza.

Posted by: Cynic 2005-03-21 3:59:53 PM

#6 Well .com, you are correct that the relativist view looks different from the absolutist view.

But both the US and Israel take the relativist view of Jordan. It is asking a lot for an arab ruler to crack down on the mosques. Even where it clearly is in their own interest (e.g., the Soddies), this is tough for them to do.

Posted by: mhw 2005-03-21 12:37:50 PM

#5 Regards the top half, he's maintaining an even strain internally - just enough to cover his own ass and, I'm sure he hopes, survive. I've been to Amman - only for 2 days, however - and yes there are a few nice neighborhoods. I believe the US Aid employee who was assassinated lived in one of them, in fact. You and I both know the key: the imams and the moskkks. He doesn't seem to have much to say or do with that. Sad. That's where the rubber meets the road.

Zarqi's indicted all over the place - that doesn't do anything. Hell, considering what his group wanted to do in Jordan with the chemical truck bombs, you'd think Abdullah would be beside himself trying to both to get his hands on Zarqi and Crew and to turn his population away from the Islamists.

Okay - so you see him in a relative light. Relative to other Islamist shitholes, Jordan's pretty, um, benign. I look at what is there and think he would best serve his own interests (and ours at the same time) by cracking down on the imams - the focal point of Islamist hatred. Just by educating his people via the media he could draw some very stark contrasts between what they have now, can reasonably expect without change / progress, and what others enjoy.

He'd better think hard and lead the wave - given what's happening next door.

Posted by: .com 2005-03-21 11:42:07 AM

#4 First of all, on the "What has K Abdullah (of Jordan) done"

- well he has kept the border with Israel quiet; he has kept terrorists from using that border; he has prevented smuggling across that border (yes some smuggling does get done but its much less than it could be); he has tried to get the PA to reform; he has promoted market economy measures in Jordan (there are a number of very nice suburbs, in fact the Hilla suicide bomber- who recently started seriously reading the Quran- came from such a suburb); he has been cooperative in keeping the lid on the terrorist financial infrastructure (much, much better than the Soddies or Egypt or Yeman or...); he obviously can't change the culture by himself - the honor killings, the Islamist subculture, etc.

second, on the 'who got al Zargawi out of jail' issue -- this was a murky affair -- he was released from prison in 1999 in a 'general amnesty'. Jordan consulted with the US about who was and who was not going to be retained. Whether it was the US Ambassador who dropped the ball or whether it was one of the people you cited will not be known until the relevent diplomatic cables are declassified (if then). However, it is worth noting that Jordanian courts (which are under the control of the King)have reindicted Zarqawi several times since he was released -- in fact one such reindictment was just a few weeks ago.

Posted by: mhw 2005-03-21 11:15:52 AM

#3 mhw - And your commentary changes / invalidates what?

Jordan is a rabid cesspool that he has done precious little to clean up. Just as his father before him, he does only that which ensures his own survival. Jordan shares with Egypt the distinction of producing some of the best premium-quality jihadis.

As for the little town mechanic from Al Zarqawi, pray tell - with proof, how he is free due to the US? Of course if it was another opportunity lost by Clinton, I won't be able to scrape up much surprise. Between Billy Boy, Dickie Clarke, and Sandy Burger the US was singularly ineffective.

Posted by: .com 2005-03-21 10:41:54 AM

#2 This isn't the fault of the King of Jordan. He is about as good a monarch as one could expect. He has helped the US on the Israel/PA situation; he has helped the US on other things. It is true that Jordan had Zarqawi in custody once and released him, but that was more our fault than theirs.

The problem here is salafist/wahabi/islamist thought or, if you drill down, the problem is islam (or at least the dozens of jihadist verses in the Quran and the hundreds of jihadist stories in the hadiths and the hundreds of thousands of jihadist sermons, textbooks and the like) and I don't see the Iraqis protesting against Islam. In fact, at the demonstrations against Jordan, they also decided to burn the flag of Israel. The evolution of Iraq has just begun; who knows where it will end up.

Posted by: mhw 2005-03-21 10:27:47 AM

#1 Heh. Gosh, Mr Hashemite Kingy Thingy, seems like they don't think you're very impressive or that you're such a fine neighbor. Um, who needs whom in this deal? Their oil will be purchased, no questions asked. What've you got, eh? Can you bag or bottle seething? Guess you're gonna hafta stop the globe-trotting BS pretending you lead anything but a cesspool - and get bizzy cleaning up. There's this Al Zarqi jackoff running around, too. Prolly pops in on Mom now and then, y'know? Take a ride on your Harley and thimk about it, why doncha? When the thimking's done, get your ass in gear, clean up your own mess, then maybe someone will be interested in your envoy. I think Dubya should send your wanker Amb packing, too, in solidarity, lol! Always wanted to use that Commie Pinko "solidarity" werd, heh.

Posted by: .com 2005-03-21 12:44:01 AM

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