Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Jordan reaffirms
zero-tolerance policy on terror
By Linda Hindi
AMMAN - Jordan reasserted its position on terrorism during a regional security
meeting on Monday, which focused on increasing Iraq stability.
A member of the Jordanian delegation who attended the two-day meeting in
Damascus, Nawaf Tal, told The Jordan Times: “The Kingdom remains committed to
its zero-tolerance policy with regard to any terrorist activity that would harm
Jordanian national security.”
Jordan’s delegation to the Security Committee for Coordination and Cooperation
on Iraq meeting was headed by Interior Ministry Secretary General Mukhaimar Abu
Jamous.
The official stressed in his address that the Kingdom refuses to allow any
terror activity to take it as a launchpad to target neighbouring countries.
Jordan also reaffirmed that security is a collective rather than an individual
responsibility, especially when it comes to issues of border control, Tal, a
Foreign Ministry official, added.
Border control was one of the central topics discussed by participants in the
meeting, which included security experts from the US, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Iran,
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as representatives of the UN Security
Council permanent members, the Arab League, the EU, the G-8 and the Organisation
of the Islamic Conference.
“We hope that this meeting will result in a strong commitment by all parties to
stop the flow of both terrorists and the weapons they use across Iraq’s borders
and throughout the region,” a US embassy statement said.
The US was represented by its Charge d’Affaires in Damascus Michael Corbin, who
participated as an observer.
Corbin was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying: “Terrorist facilitation
networks operating throughout the region continue to be a significant threat to
the stability of Iraq, and by extension, the entire region.”
The US has accused Syria of exacerbating violence in Iraq and allowing
insurgents to pass through its borders, as well as financing and training them,
AFP added.
Meanwhile, delegates commended Jordan for doing its utmost to secure the border
with Iraq, according to Reuters.
Senior Iraqi official Labid Abbawi said infiltration had declined sharply since
last year, partly due to a crackdown by several of Iraq’s neighbours, but
indirectly criticised Iran for allegedly helping the Sadrists, Reuters reported.
“We are not in the business of naming names. We have complaints about some of
our neighbours. There are problems and a bigger scope for security cooperation,”
Abbawi said.
Yesterday’s meeting was meant as a follow-up on the first meeting which was held
in Damascus in August of last year and to activate the existing agreements
including the “Iraq Neighbouring Countries Security Cooperation Protocol” of
2006, as well as bilateral agreements between Iraq and its neighbours.
The participants agreed on a list of recommendations which will be discussed at
the ministerial level on April 22 in Kuwait.
The recommendations included topics such as transnational crime, border control,
the internal situation in Iraq, narcotics and Iraqi national reconciliation
efforts.