Jordanian government: Maan event is a strong message to everyone
Jordan, Politics, 11/15/2002

By declaring the city of Maan an area free of weapons and its rejection to any mediation dialogue with the chased outlaws, the Jordanian government has stressed its determination to subjugate all armed groups in the country being Islamists or smugglers.

Since the beginning of Maan city crisis, which is 215 Km far from Amman, the Jordanian officials refrained from calling the armed groups which were facing the security forces as "Islamists" and just concentrated on that they are "outlaw gangs."

Yesterday, the Jordanian minister of information Muhammad al-Edwan said that the government hopes that Maan city will be a clear message to all "that we will not permit violation of the law." Maan operation started on Sunday to arrest leading figures for armed groups and the clashes resulted in killing five persons including three of the citizens of Maan, one police man and one soldier was killed accidentally.

Since the beginning of the operation the Jordanian official stressed it is a clear message addressed to Jordan as a whole in which "we stress there will be no state within a state." Replying to a question on whether this operation aims at arresting violent armed groups that can cause unrest in Jordan in case an American attack is made against Iraq, al-Edwan did not rule out that this armed "gang" will be exploit by a political group or enclave by religion.

To this effect, the Jordanian government rejected a mediation proposed by the coalition of the opposition groups, especially the Islamic ones, and political figures and trade unionists. Al-Edwan said "there will be no mediation between the government and an outlaw gang."

Al-Edwan added in conclusion if a meeting of the Jordanian Cabinet that the security issues in Jordan can not be mediated because it relates to national interests. He stressed that what had taken place in Maan is a security issue and has no political considerations.

During the meeting Maan was declared a city free from weapons in which no kind of weapons is permitted. The government called on the citizens including those who have weapons licenses to hand over their weapons including guns and ammunition.

Experts said that Maan is the city which includes the largest number of weapons in Jordan.

One of these experts said that carrying weapons is part of the traditions of the Jordanian Bedouins, and that 80% of them are carrying licenses, adding that contrary to Maan, cities such as al-Salt ( West), Irbid ( south), and Tufeila ( the south) have not exploited such a situation nor caused security problems. N.

Previous Stories:
  Jordanian government strikes mediation effort in Maan, Abu Sayyaf flees, assistant arrested   (11/14/2002)
  Satterfield in Amman meets with Abul Ragheb, Muasher   (11/14/2002)
  Clashes continue, the opposition mediates, the army has not settled the fighting in Maan   (11/13/2002)

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