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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Iraqi authorities summoned four diplomats from the Iraqi Embassy in Amman recently for questioning over the attacks and beatings of Jordanian activists during an embassy function last week.

Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan Jawad Abbas told Ammon over the phone from Baghdad on Thursday that the Iraqi government is questioning the diplomats for their possible involvement in the attacks on Jordanian pan-Arab Ba'athist activists who attended the Embassy function at the Royal Cultural Center last Thursday.

The Ambassador refused to disclose the names of the diplomats, citing only that they were summoned to Baghdad.

Abbas denied in statements to Ammon News that he took any part in the attacks on the activists, following accusations by the Jordan Bar Association that the ambassador was present and involved in the incident that took place to mark what the embassy called "Mass Graves in the Saddam Era."

The accusations came from a lawyer, Ziyad Najdawi, a former member of Saddam Hussein's defense team, who said that the Ambassador told his staff and guards that "this is the lawyer of the despot, bring him."

Abbas denied the accusations, saying that he does not know Najdawi and had not seen him before.

The incident stirred major protests and denunciation from various social and political groups in Jordan, including hundreds of demonstrators who protested in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Amman calling for expelling the ambassador and threw rocks at the building as police prevented them from storming it.

On a different topic, asked whether Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki would partake in the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held in Amman between May 24-26, Abbas said that Iraq will participate in the forum represented by former Iraqi Minister of Finance Baqer Jaber al-Zubeidi and Shi'ite lraqi leader Ammar al-Hakeem.

Another Iraqi official however said that the two men's participation in WEF representing only themselves and not officially representing Iraq.