Jordan "Concerned" About U.S. Interception Of Sea Shipments
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| U.S. intends to restart inspection operations of cargo arriving or leaving Aqaba |
AMMAN,
July 27 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Amman has told Washington
it is "concerned" the U.S. navy will intercept shipments
arriving or leaving its southern port in a search for illegal Iraqi
petrol deliveries, a government source said Saturday, July 27.
"Jordan
was informed by international shipping companies that American forces
command told them they intended to restart inspection operations of
cargo arriving or leaving Aqaba", the source told Agence
France-Presse (AFP), requesting anonymity.
The
source added that Amman had contacted Washington "to communicate
in advance its concern" about the move and to "confirm the
absence of any illegal shipments through Aqaba".
The
United States has not informed Jordan it intends to intercept
shipments, the same source also said, adding "Jordan respects the
international sanctions imposed by the United Nations on Iraq."
During
the 1991 Gulf War following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait the previous
year, U.S. warships intercepted cargo shipments arriving or leaving
Jordan's only Red Sea port in a bid to ensure Iraq was not exporting
oil in violation of a UN embargo. Interceptions ceased in 1994.
Jordan
relies on its sanctions-hit neighbor for all its oil supplies and
receives half the oil for free and half at a preferential rate.
It
also benefits from a special exemption from the 12-year-old UN trade
embargo on Iraq, granted in deference to the two countries'
longstanding ties.
The
reports of renewed U.S. inspection come at a time when Washington has
said it is determined to oust the regime of Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein.
Jordan
has said several times it is opposed to any U.S. strike on its
neighbor.
Jordanian
Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb Thursday, July 11, called a press
conference to deny a stream of foreign press reports suggesting the
kingdom could be used as a launch-pad for U.S. attacks on Iraq.
"I
would like to stress that all these stories have no basis or truth to
them. We categorically deny them and I hope that this is the last time
that we deny" such press reports, Abu Ragheb said.
"There
are no American troops in Jordan. There aren't any agreements with the
United States about this," he said, adding that Jordan's position
has and always will be one of support for Iraq's sovereignty, AFP
said.
"Once
again we say that we support the unity of our brother, Iraq, as well
as its territorial integrity and sovereignty on all its land and we
call for non-interference in Iraqi internal affairs," Abu Ragheb
said.
"And
Jordan does not allow and will not allow in the future that its land,
or airspace, be used [to intervene] in the affairs of any country,
especially our brother Iraq," Abu Ragheb said.
Under
a six-year-old exemption from the UN embargo, Iraq is allowed to
export up to 2.1 million barrels per day of oil under UN supervision
to fund imports of essential goods.
However,
such program was not successful in providing the Iraqi population with
its basic needs from food and medicine, which led to the death of
hundreds of Iraqi children.
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