Jordan's king makes visit to Iraq

BAGHDAD — On Monday, King Abdullah II of Jordan became the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since Saddam Hussein's regime collapsed in 2003, the latest sign that Iraq's Sunni Arab neighbors are strengthening ties with its Shiite-led government.

During Abdullah's brief, unannounced visit to the capital, he met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, to express his support. The top issue on the agenda was Jordan's oil needs.

The king later issued a statement urging other Arab nations to reach out to Iraq.

The visit is a major step for Iraq's Shiite-led government, which has been largely isolated from its mostly Sunni Muslim Arab neighbors.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called Abdullah's visit a "bold step" and said he hoped other Arab nations would follow suit. "The visit was short, however with a great political significance. It was a historic visit," Zebari told Iraqi television.

He said Abdullah's arrival showed that Arab nations were recognizing that Iraq is "starting to rise again."

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said the U.S. hoped it would spur other Arab and world leaders to visit Iraq, send ambassadors here and step up cooperation with the country.

The Arab nations of Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have recently promised to send ambassadors to Iraq. Abdullah, an important U.S. ally in the region, announced recently that Jordan will reopen a full embassy in Baghdad.

Iraqi and U.S. officials say many of the foreign Sunni Muslim insurgents recruited by al-Qaida in Iraq have entered via neighboring Sunni states, and they have pressed those countries to improve controls.

The Sunni insurgent group's influence has diminished in recent months, but remains active.

In Baqouba, the capital of Diyala province, police said a 15-year-old girl blew herself up Monday with more than 20 pounds of explosives inside a police station. A U.S. military statement said one Iraqi policeman was killed, but earlier reports from Iraqi officials put the death toll at five.

On a road east of Baqouba, a roadside bomb killed five Iraqi women when it detonated near their vehicle. Diyala is an al-Qaida stronghold where the Iraqi military last month launched an offensive against insurgents.

Compiled from McClatchy Newspapers, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times reports.