Iraq recalls envoy in Jordan days after opposition gathering in Amman

AMMAN — Baghdad on Friday said it had recalled its envoy to Amman for urgent consultation.

“Iraq decided to recall its ambassador to Jordan for consultations,” said a statement posted online by the Iraqi foreign ministry, without elaborating on the reason.

The move comes two days after a “gathering” was held in Jordan for Iraqi figures representing Sunni and tribal leaders and businessmen, where they launched their first unified coalition calling on the international community to boycott the Nouri Al Maliki government.

Called the “Amman conference to save Iraq”, the Wednesday assembly called on the international community to officially recognise rebel forces as a legitimate resistance group.

Although no official comment was issued on this by the Iraqi government, the Iraqi News Agency confirmed that recalling Ambassador Jawad Abbas came as a response to Amman’s allowing this gathering.

Meanwhile, a Jordanian official said on Saturday morning that “the government took notice of the Iraqi government calling the ambassador for consultation”.

However, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Jordan Times that “they have not told us of the reason yet… this normally happens after the consultation ends”.

On the Iraqi gathering, the official said that “Iraqi investors and residents in Jordan gathered on their own to discuss the future of their country”, stopping short of saying whether they asked for permission from authorities or not.

Later Saturday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said he received a phone call from his Iraqi counterpart, Hussein Shahrestani, on the day the gathering was held to enquire about the event.

“The conference was not sponsored by Jordan” and the Kingdom has no relation with its content or its outcomes, Judeh said at a joint conference he held Saturday afternoon with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

He also explained that Jordan provides the venue for any “party” that requests to organise a conference, and this is not the first time.

However, Jordan prevents the meetings that would jeopardise its security, or the security of Iraq.

“We invest in the security and stability of Iraq” as this is important to the benefit of Jordan, Judeh said.