Norway Envoy to Iraq quits over Epstein investigation

Shafaq
News- Oslo/ Baghdad 

Norway
on Monday accepted the resignation of its ambassador to Jordan and Iraq, Mona
Juul, after authorities initiated an investigation into her links with Jeffrey
Epstein, following the appearance of her name in a large cache of files
released by the US government.

In a
statement, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described the
resignation as appropriate and necessary, noting that Juul’s contacts with
Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes, amounted to a serious lapse in
judgment.

Juul
played a central role in the secret negotiations between Israelis and
Palestinians that culminated in the 1993 Oslo Accords. Norwegian media outlets
previously reported that Epstein set aside $10 million in his will for the two
children of Juul and her husband, diplomat Terje Rød-Larsen. Rød-Larsen also
took part in the Oslo negotiations and later served in several Middle East
roles as a special envoy for the United Nations secretary-general.

Jeffrey
Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019, shortly after being
charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. US prosecutors accused
him of exploiting dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, at his homes
in Florida and New York between 2002 and 2005, paying them in cash and
directing some to recruit others.

On
January 30, 2026, the FBI released more than 3 million pages of documents
related to Epstein, including emails, flight logs, and images that mention
numerous international figures, renewing scrutiny of his extensive network and
the reach of his connections across politics, business, and society.