Iraq asks Jordan to support security operation against insurgents

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has asked the Jordanian authorities to support the ongoing security operation against militants, Jordanian and Iraqi sources confirmed.

According to the sources Al-Maliki asked the Iraqi ambassador in Amman Jawad Hadi Abbas to inform the Jordanian government a message of protest against the Jordanian position, which does not appear sympathetic to Al-Maliki government’s crackdown on militants and to demand Jordan issue an official statement to condemn the events in Iraq and denounce the armed insurgency in Sunni provinces.

The Jordanian government reiterated its official position of the developments in Iraq and expressed concern about the current events there and called for the formation of a national unity government which includes all the Iraqi people, without isolating or excluding any political component.

Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication and Government spokesman Dr Mohammad Al-Momani said Jordan does not interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs and wishes the crisis would end and stability would return.

During a cabinet meeting a few days ago, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said his country is able to protect itself and will not allow any party to intervene in its internal affairs or transfer its crisis to Jordan.