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Jordan warns Saddam daughters not to talk politics
DUBAI: Jordan’s foreign minister has warned the daughters of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein against making statements that “smell vaguely political” while they are guests of the government.
Foreign Minister Marwan al-Muasher told the Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Sunday that Jordan did not want Raghad and Rana Hussein speaking about their country’s affairs or their father, who is in US custody.
“We’ve always maintained that Saddam’s daughters are in Amman for humanitarian, not political reasons,” Muasher said. “We do not like and do not want there to be any statements that even smell vaguely political. They were invited to Jordan for humanitarian reasons and it should remain that way.” Muasher’s comments appeared to indicate the sisters were embarrassing Jordan, a key Middle East ally for the United States which also has major trade interests in post-Saddam Iraq. Jordan granted Saddam’s eldest daughter Raghad, 36, and her younger sister Rana asylum after they fled Iraq shortly after US troops took control of Baghdad in April. Since arriving in Jordan, Raghad had given interviews to international and Arab media.
Her latest media appearance was in December when she said her father was drugged prior to his capture and demanded an international trial for him. —Reuters
DUBAI: Jordan’s foreign minister has warned the daughters of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein against making statements that “smell vaguely political” while they are guests of the government.
Foreign Minister Marwan al-Muasher told the Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published on Sunday that Jordan did not want Raghad and Rana Hussein speaking about their country’s affairs or their father, who is in US custody.
“We’ve always maintained that Saddam’s daughters are in Amman for humanitarian, not political reasons,” Muasher said. “We do not like and do not want there to be any statements that even smell vaguely political. They were invited to Jordan for humanitarian reasons and it should remain that way.” Muasher’s comments appeared to indicate the sisters were embarrassing Jordan, a key Middle East ally for the United States which also has major trade interests in post-Saddam Iraq. Jordan granted Saddam’s eldest daughter Raghad, 36, and her younger sister Rana asylum after they fled Iraq shortly after US troops took control of Baghdad in April. Since arriving in Jordan, Raghad had given interviews to international and Arab media.
Her latest media appearance was in December when she said her father was drugged prior to his capture and demanded an international trial for him. —Reuters