Situation normal at Jordan-Iraq border as officials unveil security measures

AMMAN — It was business as usual at the Jordanian-Iraqi border on Monday as officials unveiled steps taken to prevent growing instability in Iraq from spilling over onto Jordanian territory.

According to security sources, the Jordanian-Iraqi border remained “calm” on Monday, with regular cargo and passenger traffic flow between the two countries continuing “without interruption”. 

Security forces reported no “unusual movements” along the two countries’ 180km shared border for the second straight day, despite reports of the jihadist militia Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) gaining ground in towns and villages across western Iraq.

Parliament meets 

over Iraq

Jordanian officials said a military build-up along the border is part of several steps taken to “safeguard national security” in view of developments in Iraq and Syria. 

In an extraordinary parliamentary session on Monday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Interior Minister Hussein Majali announced that Amman has taken all necessary steps to “ensure national security”.

“We are asserting full control over the border with the Jordan Armed Forces and security forces fully prepared to protect Jordan,” Judeh declared during the session.

Majali noted that the government has dispatched Gendarmerie, paramilitary and additional security forces to the border and border crossings to ensure “regular operations”.

The build-up comes amid reports of the withdrawal of Iraqi government forces from several towns and villages in the western Anbar province.

 In response to a question, Majali stressed the crisis has not led to a fresh refugee influx into Jordan. 

“As of today, not a single Iraqi refugee has entered the country due to the current developments in Iraq,” Majali said, noting that “there are no current population movements in western Iraq towards Jordan”. 

Risk is there

Majali said that the Kingdom is “surrounded by extremism”, that it should be on high alert to deal with any possible threat.

Judeh, meanwhile, acknowledged that “there is a great deal of concern here in Jordan”, due to the latest developments in Iraq, referring to fears at the grass-roots level from ISIL as the terror group gains ground in Iraq and Syria.

At this stage, it is vital for the sake of protecting our “national security” to monitor developments closely, Judeh told lawmakers. He ruled out the possibility of having new waves of Iraqi refugees cross into the Kingdom, noting that many headed to Kurdistan in northern Iraq.

However, Judeh reiterated Jordan’s position against extremism saying “our stand is solid”. Any form of extremism is not acceptable at all, he said.

Majali and Judeh agreed that the recent developments in Iraq are not separated from the crisis in Syria. “What is happening in Iraq nowadays is related one way or another to the situation in Syria,” Judeh said.