SINGAPORE, Oct. 13 (UPI) -- Jordan's King Abdullah said Monday troops from Iraq's neighbors should not participate in peacekeeping operation.
"I don't think countries that border Iraq should play an active role in Iraq because we all have our agendas," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's East Asia Summit. "We all want to have special relationship with Iraq and therefore we can't really be transparent.
"So to have Turkish, Jordanian, Syrian, Saudi, Kuwaiti, Iranian troops inside of Iraq, I don't think is in the best interest of Iraqis."
Turkey's parliament voted last week to approve a U.S. request to send peacekeeping forces to Iraq, providing the first Muslim contingent for the American-led military coalition. Jordan, one of Washington's closest allies in the Arab world, ruled out sending troops, however.
He added he would remain opposed to neighbors' troops inside Iraq even if sanctioned by the United Nations.
