US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5498

UNCLAS AMMAN 005498 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA EX FOR BILL HUDSON AND PMO BARBARA MCCARTHY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OTRA, AMGT, JO 
SUBJECT:  INVITATIONAL TRAVEL 
 
1. Post requests authority for FSN Environment Assistant Ms. 
Rana Safadi to accept invitational round-trip travel (via 
commercial carrier), lodging and per diem from the Quebec- 
Labrador Foundation (QLF) to attend a two-week workshop in 
the Boston, MA, area.  QLF is a U.S.-based private, non- 
profit conservation and education organization.  Ms. Safadi 
has been awarded a QLF Middle East Environmental Education 
Fellowship, for which she will represent the NEA Regional 
Environment Office and showcase our regional Arab/Israeli 
cooperative activities.  The proposed period of travel is 
on/about October 8-24, 2003, from Amman to Boston and 
return. 
 
2. Post recommends approval of the invitation travel request 
for the following reasons: 
 
--training and capacity building of post's FSN charged with 
assisting the NEA Regional Environment Office is in the 
interest of the USG by helping promote the activities the 
State Department has identified as policy objectives; 
--the travel will take place in the context of Ms. Safadi's 
official responsibilities and only for the time period 
necessary to fulfill those responsibilities; 
--acceptance of the invitational travel is reasonable and 
proper in the context of both official responsibilities and 
current political circumstances; 
--no reasonable person would conclude that acceptance of the 
invitational travel would improperly influence Ms. Safadi in 
the performance of her official duties. 
 
HALE