A spokesman for the Iraqi National Congress of Governing Council member Ahmad Chalabi has attacked Jordan, accusing it of sheltering ousted leader Saddam Hussein cronies, smuggling oil and meddling in Iraq's domestic affairs.
Jordan is sheltering "Saddam Hussein's daughters, the son of (former deputy prime minister) Tareq Aziz and several figures associated with the old regime," Entifadh Qanbar told reporters on Tuesday.
"Those people are spending Iraqi money which was looted, they create an environment of confusion, they harass Iraqis who are against Saddam," he charged.
Accusing Jordan of having opposed the ouster of Saddam, Qanbar said some Jordanian businessmen who benefited from his regime were now "trying to get a piece of the pie in Iraq".
"We're not going to allow these people to benefit from new business opportunities in Iraq," he made clear.
Qanbar also accused Amman of "smuggling Iraqi oil to sell it on the black market" in Jordan, causing gasoline shortages in Iraq.
Moreover, he slammed Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher for voicing concern for Iraq's Sunni Muslim community, whose members he described as the "underdogs" in the emerging post-war political order. This amounted to "an unacceptable interference" in Iraq's affairs, Qanbar said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
