Syrian-Jordanian relations deteriorated, Tarawneh says
Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh has expressed wonder over the deteriorated Jordanian Syrian relations. He said: "As a prime minister I am bewildered over the matter which is viewed by the Syrians as the main reason of the crisis with Jordan. But we are not convinced that the peace agreement with Israel is the reason."
Tarawneh added in an interview with the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am to be published today and quoted by the Jordanian news agency Petra, that, "For instance the Syrian-Jordanian joint committee has been suspended by Syria since 1990, prior to signing our agreement with Israel by four years."
He added that the Syrians did not appoint an ambassador to Jordan after the post opened at the beginning of 1993, one and a half years before the signing of the Jordanian- Israeli agreement.
Replying to a question put by correspondent of the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am Raja Taleb, who is also chief editor of the Jordanian weekly Sheihan, on Egypt's attempt to calm the Syrian-Jordanian atmosphere and whether there is a Jordanian inclination to raise certain issues with the Syrians in case they sit together at the negotiating table, Tarawneh stated, " Yes, there will be open and frank debate between us and them," the Syrians, "if such a meeting will take place."
He added that Syria has at least to give Jordan answers to its questions, on why they got Jordan involved in an issue which he said it is not part of, "They know we are not part of any alliance and we do not believe in alliances."
The other question is "why they got us involved in this alliance at a time when a Syrian-Turkish agreement was held on an important security level."
On the issue of Jordanian detainees in Syrian jails, the Jordanian Premier wondered "why this cliche ever confront the Jordanians on the Syrian borders in that the Jordanians are hirelings for the Mossad and the CIA."
He continued, "We are one hundred percent concerned with the file King Hussein delivered to President al-Assad during the recent Cairo Arab summit conference in 1996 concerning terrorism which Syria is accused of practicing against Jordan."
The Jordanian Premier added there are in the Syrian territories Palestinian groups which oppose the peace process.