Jordan's Abdullah visits Iraq for first time since 2008

Jordanian King Abdullah II has made his first trip to Baghdad in more than a decade, meeting Iraqi President Barham Saleh.

The Jordanian monarch’s last trip to Iraq was in 2008, when he became the first Arab leader to visit Baghdad after former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.

The Iraqi leader traveled to Amman in November. The two states share a 179-km border, and Jordan is a major importer of Iraqi crude oil.

Jordan had its best special ties with Iraq under former dictator Saddam Hussein who provided the kingdom with cheap oil in return for access to Aqaba which became a lifeline for Iraq's oil revenues as the war with Iran rendered shipping through the Persian Gulf impossible.

Relations between Iraq and Jordan deteriorated after Jordan had given sanctuary to Saddam’s eldest daughter, Raghad.

Raghad has been living in Jordan under the protection of King Abdullah II since leaving Iraq in 2003.

SS