Jordan Times
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Jordan condemns Tehran protest
By Khalid Neimat
AMMAN - The government on Tuesday said it was waiting for an Iranian
clarification in connection to a Tehran protest against Arab participation in
the Annapolis peace meeting that developed into attacking the Jordanian embassy
in the Islamic republic.
Acting Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh yesterday summoned Iranian Ambassador in
Amman Mohammad Irani to protest the incident, which the official said, “could
have been avoided”.
A group of Iranians gathered outside the Jordanian embassy in Tehran on Monday,
crying out their objection against the Kingdom, and other Arab countries’
participation in Tuesday’s international peace meeting on the Middle East,
agency reports said.
They broke one of the embassy’s windows after throwing stones at the building,
the reports said.
Judeh told reporters later in the day that during his meeting with Irani, he
“voiced our condemnation [of the incident] in the strongest terms”.
“Jordan categorically rejects such acts,” Judeh told the envoy. He added: “We
demand that the Iranian government spell out its measures to prevent such
incidents in the future.”
The Iranian embassy in Amman declined to comment when contacted by The Jordan
Times, saying they were waiting for “information” from Tehran.
Judeh said the behaviour [of the protesters] is “unjustifiable… especially that
the nations of the region are partners in efforts to achieve the ultimate goal
of the Annapolis meeting: the launch of a comprehensive and clear negotiation
process that addresses the various aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and
leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian
soil….”
According to Judeh, the Jordanian embassy in Tehran has sent a “letter of
protest” to the Iranian foreign ministry.
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Khaldoun Talhouni had summoned the Iranian
envoy on Monday. According to the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Irani told Talhouni
that authorities in his country brought the situation under control and
dispersed the protest.