Ammon News - From Wael al-Jaraysheh

AMMONNEWS - Members of Parliament on Sunday agreed to request an official apology from the Syrian Ambassador in Amman over recent remarks he made that were deemed "offensive" against Jordan and its parliament.

Members of the Arab and Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee - including pro-Syrian regime MPs - unanimously agreed on the importance of obtaining an official apology over what they considered "unacceptable" actions by Syria's envoy to Jordan, Bahjat Suleiman.

Suleiman had made various remarks in criticism of Jordan's request to deploy US patriot missile batteries at its northern borders, and exchanged insults with members of Jordan's parliament in posts he made on the social networking site, Facebook.

MPs deliberated various means to respond to the Syrian envoy's remarks, including asking the government to summon him, but stressed the brotherly and friendly relations between the Jordanian and Syrian people.

Head of the committee MP Bassam Manaseer said during Sunday's meeting that Jordan has not taken any sides in the Syrian conflict, neither with nor against the regime.

"It was expected [from Syria] that Jordan would be thanked for its stance in hosting over half a million Syrian refugees," Manaseer said, adding that Jordan has not called for toppling the Syrian regime but rather continuously reiterates the need for a political solution.

Manaseer considered the ambassador's recent remarks as "a threat to Jordan," stressing Jordan's right to defend itself by any means necessary, including deployment of Patriot missile batteries at its borders.

The Jordanian government on Thursday threatened the Syrian ambassador of taking diplomatic measures to consider him "persona non grata" over recent offenses and insults he made in articles and posts on social networking sites in criticism of Jordan.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs Nasser Judeh said in a press statement that the Syrian Ambassador in Amman violated diplomatic norms and practices through his offensive actions and remarks against Jordan.

"Bahjat Suleiman exceeded all diplomatic norms and practices through his announced and un-annouced actions and meetings, and through his remarks, that are rejected and denounced," Judeh said.

Judeh criticized Suleiman's actions and statements while the Ambassador is on Jordanian territories "where he is supposed to represent the policies of his country."

Suleiman had exchanged criticism and insults with Jordanian members of parliament in the past week, using harsh language before threatening Jordan's effort to obtain American-made Patriot missiles to defend its borders.

The Ambassador said that Syria would retaliate by deploying Russian-made 9K720 "Iskander" missiles, which is a mobile theater ballistic missile system.

Judeh said on Thursday that the Ambassador had been previously warned about his actions and press statements, including posts he published on his Facebook page that offends Jordan "the country that is hosting him and hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian citizens in its cities, villages, and refugee camps."

Judeh warned Sueliman against the latter's attack on Jordan's civil and military establishments, describing the ambassador as "lacking the minimum requirements of diplomatic conduct and principles of representation."

"This is considered the final warning to [Suleiman] to abide by rules of diplomatic conduct and stop all meetings, actions, and statements that offend Jordan and its constitutional institutions, such as the latest statements against government, military, and parliamentary institutions and representatives of Jordanian society, and his criticism of Jordanian policies," Judeh said.

In part of his repeated offenses on Jordan, Suleiman exchanged criticism and insults with members of the Lower House of Parliament, including MP Bassam Manaseer, who heads the Arab and International Affairs Parliamentary Committee.

Manaseer on Thursday considered that the Ambassador's attacks on Jordan's government, parliament, and people does not fall within the Syrian Ambassador's "freedom of expression and defense of his own country."

Manaseer had earlier described Suleiman as "shameless," in response to the Ambassador's Facebook posts.

Suleiman responded by describing members of parliament as lacking in decision-making prerogatives, adding "when he and his likes become decision-makers then my presence would be shameless."

The Ambassador had previously posted on his Facebook page statements that criticized Jordan's efforts to deploy American Patriot Missile batteries, saying that "Jordan is ignorant, and it is [Syrian regime's] duty to inform it."

"We have a treatment for Patriot Missiles, that is Iskander Missiles," Suleiman added.

Manaseer responded on Thursday that if Syria makes such threatening statements, "We wished to see Iskander missiles intercept Israeli fighter jets that bombarded weapons warehouses a few weeks ago."