Jordan Times
Saturday, January 24, 1998
Iraq wants good ties with Jordan - Shbeilat
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN - Jordan Engineers Association head Leith Shbeilat has said
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein told him that Baghdad wants to
maintain good relations with Amman.
"The Iraqi president told me that he wants to keep good
relations with Jordan," Mr. Shbeilat told reporters Thursday
upon his return from a mission in Baghdad to mediate in the
release of Jordanian prisoners in Iraq.
The list of those freed included 68 prisoners, 12 of whom were
facing legal proceedings on different charges. Two women were
among those freed from Abu Ghraib jail, 40 kilometres west of
Baghdad.
Another 19 Jordanians were freed but remained in Iraq with their
families, Mr. Shbeilat said.
Most of these prisoners were jailed for smuggling charges and
other minor offences, but Mr. Shbeilat said Iraq told him that
some of those freed were jailed for spying for Israel. He did not
elaborate.
Among those released was Ammar Ghalib Shihabiddine, who was on
death row for smuggling spare car parts.
Mr. Shbeilat met with the Iraqi president, who ordered the
release of all Jordanian prisoners, including those accused of
espionage, he said.
"I asked him on behalf of the Jordanian people to release
these prisoners, including those charged with espionage. He
immediately agreed and ordered that all Jordanian detainees be
freed and proceedings against those on trial in Iraq be
stopped," Mr. Shbeilat started.
Mr. Shbeilat, a former member of Parliament, charged that he was
subjected to maltreatment from police when he arrived at the
border.
"I expected an official welcome from the government but
instead I received a military welcome," Mr. Shbeilat said.
"They confiscated my passport, prevented Iraqi officials, as
well as an Iraqi TV crew, from entering Jordan, and used violence
against some of us," he added.
He said some police officers told him that they "had orders
to use violence against me if they did."
Mr. Shbeilat, who was detained for a few hours at a police
station but later released, said "this treatment was
unjustified and childish."
He charged that the government did not exert enough effort to
secure the release of the prisoners "but used provocative
language and a superior and contemptuous manner with the
Iraqis," a charge denied by the government.
Prime Minister Abdul Salam Majali on Thursday said Jordan had
exerted all efforts for the release of the prisoners, especially
following the executions of four Jordanians.
"His Majesty King Hussein, Crown Prince Hassan, the prime
minister and other officials spared no efforts to obtain the
release of these prisoners," Dr. Majali told the Paris-based
Radio Monte Carlo on Thursday.
"Our efforts culminated following the executions and during
the Islamic Conference in Tehran, at which time Prince Hassan met
with the Iraqi vice president," added Dr. Majali.
"We explained to them and suggested that it was the proper
time to console the Jordanian people...and set the prisoners
free," Dr. Majali said.
"They promised to free them, but unfortunately this did not
happen and the release took place only two days ago. We heard the
news from TV and radio stations without prior notification,"
he added.
"Even their excuse [not to inform us] was not acceptable to
us, because they ignored all our efforts to free them," he
added.
Dr. Majali said it was strange that the release of Jordanian
prisoners took place only after the murder of six Iraqis in
Amman, including the chargŽ d'affaires at the Iraqi embassy
and his wife.
"This matter raises a question on the timing of the
release," Dr. Majali said.
However, Iraq officially informed Jordan on Wednesday that the
decision to free the prisoners came before Mr. Shbeilat's visit
to the country, a Jordanian official was quoted as saying by the
Agence-France Presse news agency.
Mr. Shbeilat said there was no reason for the government to be
angry at any popular attempt to release the prisoners.
He also said the Iraqi government was angry because of Jordan's
repeated calls for "political change in Iraq."
"How do you expect Iraq to free our prisoners at a time when
Jordanian officials are calling for political changes in Iraq and
are giving the Iraqi opposition freedom to launch their campaign
against the Iraqi government?" he asked.
Meanwhile, the Arabic daily Al Dustour on Friday quoted Minister
of Interior Nathir Rashid as saying that not all Jordanian
prisoners have been released from Iraq.
"A number of Jordanians are still in Iraqi prisons, some of
them serving life sentences," he said.