SINGAPORE, Oct 13: Troops from Turkey and other countries that border Iraq should not be allowed to take part in military operations inside the country, Jordan’s King Abdullah said here on Monday.

King Abdullah said Iraq’s neighbours were incapable of being “honest” if their military forces were sent in to help the United States conduct peacekeeping operations.

“I don’t think that any country that borders Iraq should play an active role inside of Iraq because we all have our agendas,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s East Asia summit.

“That means we can’t really be transparent. And to have Turkish, Jordanian, Syrian, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Iranian troops inside of Iraq I don’t think is in the best interest of Iraqis.”

The king said he was happy for Jordan and other countries in the Middle East to train Iraqi security forces.

“But to have us as neighbours inside of Iraq, I don’t think we can be honest in our policies so I don’t think you will see Jordanian peacekeepers in Iraq.”

His comments come amid fierce debate over Turkey’s plans to send troops to Iraq in response to a US plea for military help. Turkey’s decision last week unleashed a tirade of criticism from Iraqi interim leaders, who fear military involvement from neighbouring countries.

The Iraqi Kurds, who have chilly ties with Ankara, are especially hostile to the plan over fears that Turkey wants to thwart their political gains made since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

King Abdullah is expected to discuss the issue with other members of the Arab League on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Malaysia.

He said he did not advocate troops from neighbouring countries entering Iraq even if the United Nations approved.

“Unless the Iraqis say at a later stage there are certain areas we would like Jordanian participation, I guess it could be questioned,” he said.

“But I don’t care if you are under the American umbrella or the UN, I still believe we can’t be honest contributors simply because we all have certain desires on what we would like on the bilateral level with Iraq.

“It’s a moral call.”

King Abdullah said it was imperative a strong Iraqi security force was developed, and recommitted Jordan to training 30,000 prospective Iraqi police officers despite some opposition from Iraq’s interim Governing Council.

“I think we are doing the right thing by training these people and putting them back out,” he said.

“It’s the quickest way the Iraqis will be able to take over and be able to get on with their lives.”—AFP