Jordan king, Shia cleric meet in Amman to discuss Iraq

By Laith al-Junaidi and Zeynep Hilal Karyagdi

AMMAN

Jordanian King Abdullah II received prominent Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Amman on Monday to discuss recent developments in next-door Iraq.

At the meeting, held at Amman’s Al-Hussainiah Palace, the two men also discussed economic and commercial relations between their two countries.

Stressing the need to preserve Iraq’s territorial integrity within the framework of the country’s national charter, King Abdullah told al-Sadr that the region could not endure any new conflicts.

“Fresh conflict will only serve the interests of the region’s terrorist groups,” he warned.

The king went on to describe the Iraqi army’s recent successes against the Daesh terrorist group as “a milestone in the establishment of Iraq’s security and territorial integrity”, stressing Amman’s continued support for reconciliation between Iraq’s myriad political camps.

Al-Sadr, for his part, emphasized Jordan’s importance to the region’s stability, hailing the Hashemite Kingdom’s continued efforts to promote peace, stability and national unity in Iraq.

Last week, Baghdad sent troops into parts of the country disputed between the central government and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), including the oil-rich Kirkuk province.

The deployments came in the wake of last month’s illegitimate referendum on Kurdish regional independence, which saw Iraqis in KRG-controlled areas vote on whether or not to declare independence.

The illegitimate referendum faced sharp opposition from most regional and international actors (including the U.S., Turkey and Iran), who warned that the poll would distract from Iraq’s fight against terrorism and further destabilize the region.