Thursday, December 14, 2006
Jordanian - Iraqi intelligence agreement signed
Security, Region
Jordan and Iraq signed an agreement Wednesday to coordinate intelligence on al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, a show of cooperation between two countries whose relations have been marked at times by suspicion. The deal came a week after the U.S. Iraq Study Group called for Iraq's neighbors to take a more active role in stemming the violence ripping the country apart. The Jordanian and Iraqi interior ministers met in Amman along with top security officials from each country. A joint statement said the two countries agreed "to exchange information related to terrorism" and organized crime. Relations have at time been tense between the Shiite-led government of Iraq and Jordan, whose mainly Sunni population has close ties to Iraq's Sunni Arab minority.
Iraqi officials are concerned that Jordan is harboring former members of Saddam Hussein's regime who are believed to be providing financial and other backing to insurgents. Jordan strongly denies the claim. Still, Jordan hosts two of Saddam's daughters, allowing them to stay on "humanitarian grounds." Harith al-Dhari, the head of Iraq's influential Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars, also took refuge in Jordan recently after the Iraqi government ordered his arrest.
During the talks, the Iraqis also brought up new restrictions in Jordan making it more difficult for Iraqis to obtain residency and entry permits, said Iraqi Ambassador Saad al-Hayani. Nearly 2 million Iraqis have fled their country in the past three years, and Arab countries have grown more reluctant to let them in or allow them to stay. An estimated 660,000 Iraqis are in Jordan, about half of them Shiite Muslims. Jordan says the restrictions are necessary to prevent terrorism. But the kingdom is widely believed to be trying to stem the influence of Iraqi Shiites in Jordan. Al-Fayez promised to ease the restrictions, though the stressed that Jordan wanted to "remain an oasis for security and stability for all Arabs."
During the talks, the Iraqis also brought up new restrictions in Jordan making it more difficult for Iraqis to obtain residency and entry permits, said Iraqi Ambassador Saad al-Hayani. Nearly 2 million Iraqis have fled their country in the past three years, and Arab countries have grown more reluctant to let them in or allow them to stay. An estimated 660,000 Iraqis are in Jordan, about half of them Shiite Muslims. Jordan says the restrictions are necessary to prevent terrorism. But the kingdom is widely believed to be trying to stem the influence of Iraqi Shiites in Jordan. Al-Fayez promised to ease the restrictions, though the stressed that Jordan wanted to "remain an oasis for security and stability for all Arabs."
