Iraqi ambassador in China refuses to leave the embassy
Iraq-China, Politics, 7/19/2003

The former Iraqi ambassador to China, Muwafaq al-Ani, has refused to leave the building of the Iraqi embassy in Peking and ignored instructions from the occupation administration in Iraq to return back to Baghdad in mid June, according to news reports.

Talal al-Khudeiri who was asked by the Iraqi foreign ministry to run the affairs of the embassy said that the ambassador expelled members of the embassy staff using his personal weapons, and that members of the embassy asked the help of the Chinese foreign ministry which replied that it has no contacts at the meantime with the embassy but it understands the nature of its internal problems.

In a telephone call with al-Jazira TV, al-Ani denied these allegations and said that al-Khuseiri is repeating a lie he had learnt from "his bosses the Americans." He added that al-Khuseiri and embassy employees tried after the collapse of the former regime to share the assets in the embassy after breaking the doors of the building.

He justified his allegations in a statement by the spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry that Peking is dealing with the embassy on the ground of the International Law which is not to expel any diplomat unless he violates the common diplomatic norms.

He indicated he did not deal with what was called the preliminary committee at the Iraqi foreign ministry because it belongs to the American administrator of Iraqi Paul Bremer.

It is not clear how China will react towards this crisis, but expelling foreign diplomats is considered a rare event in the country.

Previous Stories:
  Peking: The Iraqi ambassador, his wife hide with their weapons in the embassy   (7/9/2003)
  China for settling the Iraqi issue by peaceful means   (1/8/2003)
  China, India stress rejection to striking Iraq   (8/29/2002)

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