Stop the Insults, Jordan Warns Syria Envoy
Jordan gave a "final warning" to Syria's ambassador Thursday that he would be declared persona non grata if he continues to insult the kingdom, in a sign of growing tensions between the neighbors.
"Syrian Ambassador Bahjat Suleiman has violated all diplomatic norms through his condemned behavior and statements against Jordan," Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh told state-run Petra news agency.
"Suleiman, who obviously lacks the minimum requirements of diplomacy, has been warned to stop such remarks that insult Jordan's civil and military institutions."
Judeh stressed that Suleiman "should consider this a "final warning".
"Any such behavior or remarks against Jordan in the future will be met with Jordanian diplomatic measures against Suleiman and he will be declared persona non grata," he said.
According to MP Bassam Manasir, Suleiman had threatened Jordan.
"This man is impudent. He started attacking Jordan when Amman hosted a meeting of the Friends of Syria group last month, calling it a meeting of Syria's enemies," Manasir told Agence France Presse, adding that is demanding the envoy's expulsion.
Manasir quoted Suleiman as writing on Facebook that "Jordanians are ignorant. They should know that Syria has Iskander missiles, which are very very effective against Patriot missiles."
The ambassador was reportedly referring to sophisticated missile systems that Syrian President Bashar Assad has implied Russia has already begun to deliver.
U.S. officials said on Monday Washington will send a Patriot missile battery and F-16 fighters to Jordan for a military drill and may keep them there to counter the threat posed by Syria's civil war.
"If Jordan does not kick out this person, I will keep demonstrating outside the Syrian embassy until he leaves the country," Manasir said.
Jordan says it is currently hosting more than 500,000 Syrian refugees, described last month by Suleiman as "terrorists".
Source: Agence France Presse
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