Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordanian King Abdullah has warned over the growing threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and called for a comprehensive and inclusive government in Iraq to counter this threat.

“The crisis in Syria has shown us that transnational terrorists have no regard for borders… as well as the challenge we face when those terrorist organizations or those extremists return back to their host countries,” King Abdullah said in Berlin, ahead of his meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He called for a new inclusive government in neighboring Iraq and said, “All participants of Iraq should come together in a comprehensive way and begin the building blocks of a totally inclusive future for the Iraqi people,” he stressed.

Jordan is alarmed by ISIL’s increased strength in the Sunni-dominated regions of Iraq and the group’s recent advances in the border region. ISIL currently controls various towns along the 180 km long border between Jordan and Iraq.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has underlined the need for a political solution to counter threats posed by ISIL.

“It is important that in Iraq all religious groups and sections of the society are involved in a dialog and rapidly form a government,” Merkel stressed. “By doing so, the state of Iraq can be strengthened against the fundamentalists and extremists.”

Iraq’s Shiite-led Maliki government has long been criticized for discrimination against other religious and ethnic groups, resulting in alienation of the Sunni and Kurdish populations.
Call for help for Syrian refugees

Merkel and King Abdullah stressed on Tuesday that they will seek ways to ensure stronger support for Syrian refugees who seek shelter in neighboring Jordan.

“We are the third largest refugee host country in the world,” Kind Abdullah said. “It seems unfair that Jordan should bear this major responsibility by ourselves and we are looking to the international community to assist us so that we can continue to be an island of stability in this volatile region,” he stressed.

According to the UN, around 600 thousand Syrian refugees have taken shelter in Jordan.
Merkel has promised stronger support for Jordan to tackle the flux of refugees.

Support for Israeli-Palestinian talks
The Jordanian king has also raised his expectations on the Middle East peace process, during the joint press conference with Merkel.

“We do hope that there is an opportunity to relaunch negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians,” he said. “And again it is important as we look at Jerusalem, there are no unilateral decisions and provocations for the holy sites in Jerusalem, specifically for the Christian and Muslim holy sites,” he added.

*World Bulletin