Iraq seeks Jordan’s help to fight terrorism

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh and his Iraqi counterpart Salim Al Jabouri on Sunday called for coordinated and intensified regional efforts to eradicate terrorism, stressing that the phenomenon is a threat to all with no exceptions.

During a joint press conference, the two sides slammed the terrorists who “commit their crimes in the name of Islam, which has nothing to do with this deviant ideology”.

Voicing appreciation of Jordan's assistance to the Iraqi people despite its economic difficulties, Jabouri requested more help from the Kingdom for his country especially in Baghdad's war against terrorism. 

"We look forward for a Jordanian role in empowering the Iraqi institutions to counter terrorism and radicalism," Jabouri said, pledging the Iraqi parliament's support for Jordanian efforts to achieve stability and security in the region.

The Iraqi lawmaker also said that there is “high level” Jordanian-Iraqi cooperation and coordination over several political and security issues, expressing hopes that Jordan would contribute to training the Iraqi security forces battling terrorism. 

He also said that the Iraqi parliament is now deliberating the investment deal Jordan and Iraq have recently signed, pledging Iraqi lawmakers’ keenness to endorse all agreements seeking to enhance cooperation with Jordan.

“Iraq is going through exceptional circumstances now and we are in need of Jordan’s assistance to help address these challenges, especially terrorism,” Jabouri said.

For his part, Tarawneh valued the Iraqi parliament’s adoption of the Jordanian initiative to draft a unified anti-terrorism Arab law which, he said, provides a preventive rather than reactive approach to terror.

“We came up with this initiative in Amman to be able to respond to terror. We hope to see it endorsed by the Arab Parliament to be an abiding document to all Arab League member states,” Tarawneh said.

Tarawneh also said that it is an established diplomatic doctrine for Jordan not to interfere in other countries’ affairs, adding, “but the Kingdom has always been in the forefront in combating terrorism”. 

“Jordan’s security is inseparable from the security of all Arab states. It is a deep-rooted principle for Jordan to fight terror wherever it is,” Tarawneh said.

He also explained that Jordan always advocates diplomatic solutions to problems through dialogue and peaceful tools, pledging the Kingdom’s readiness and eagerness to help the brotherly Iraqis and Syrians restore the stability and security of their crisis-hit countries.

The speaker announced that the Jordanian and Iraqi lower houses signed a memorandum of understanding on Sunday to enhance parliamentary cooperation and expertise exchange.