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Iraqi PM says Zarqawi is mental
20/07/2004 17:34 - (SA)
Amman - Iraq's prime minister mocked a 200 000 Jordanian dinar (about R1.7m) bounty on his head on Tuesday, calling terror suspect Abu Musab al-Zarqawi mentally ill.
He brushed off the threat with a reminder he'd heard tough talk before from Iraq's ousted dictator.
A statement posted on Sunday on an Islamic website, signed by Khalid bin al Walid Brigade, which is believed to be close to al-Zarqawi, called Prime Minister Iyad Allawi an "American stooge" who would be assassinated, and offered the reward.
"Zarqawi's threats do not scare me, I was always subject to Saddam's regime threats as well as the other Iraqi leaders," Allawi said after meeting Arab ambassadors in Amman.
"We are all ready to sacrifice our life for Iraq, so neither his position, nor his threat, scares us at all."
"Those people are mentally ill and do not belong to this nation," Allawi said of al-Zarqawi and his cohorts with a light laugh.
Secured support from Jordan
"Those people are rejected by all Iraqis, and that is why they hide in the dark and try to spread their poison in our society."
Allawi arrived in Jordan on Monday to begin his first regional tour since taking office.
He secured support from Jordan's pro-United States king, Abdullah II, in efforts to restore security in the war-shattered country and rebuild its economy.
Meetings included discussions on oil-sector co-operation - including the possibility of building a pipeline between both countries - and providing further security assistance to Iraq.
Allawi said he sent messages to Arab leaders before his tour began with public and political demands, but he did not elaborate.
He was to visit Egypt on Wednesday and later make stops in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.
"I told my Arab brothers that Iraq was passing a difficult situation, but victory would prevail," said Allawi.
Armoured vehicles for Iraqi army
All attempts to harm Iraq have begun to diminish, he said, and "definitely the security situation will improve and the political process will also triumph."
Allawi also said Iraq "highly appreciates Jordan's help represented in training elements of the Iraqi army, the police and other civilian forces, and for presenting armoured military vehicles to the Iraqi army."
More than 4 000 Iraqi army and police cadets attended courses this year in Jordan under an agreement with the now-defunct US-led occupation authority in Iraq.
The agreement envisions the training of 32 000 Iraqi police officers in two years.
- AP
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