US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5540

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005540 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARN S.WILLIAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, KCRM, PBTS, PTER, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S NATIONAL POLICE DIRECTOR ON PRIORITIES 
AND REGIONAL ISSUES 
 
REF: AMMAN 5501 
 
Classified By: CDA DAVID M HALE FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: During an August 27 meeting with Emboffs and 
visiting Congressional staff, Public Security Directorate 
(PSD) Director General Tahseen Shurdom cited training and 
equipment as his fiscal priorities. He reiterated his 
government,s willingness to train Iraqi police officers and 
showed concern over smuggling into Jordan from other regional 
states. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) In a meeting with House Appropriations Committee staff 
members, Director General Shurdom expressed his desire to 
increase investments in personnel for the PSD, Jordan,s 
national police force. He mentioned his plan to construct a 
new training academy in the south of Jordan, an economically 
disadvantaged region, and his hopes for better logistical 
support for the PSD. He said Jordan's training center could 
serve the region. While pleased with the number of training 
courses offered by the USG to PSD officers, Shurdom harked 
back to his experiences as a Jordanian Armed Forces officer 
with the frequent IMET training offered through the Defense 
Department. He suggested that such an arrangement with 
consistently available slots scheduled a year or more out 
would assist the PSD in its planning. 
 
3. (C) Turning to regional issues, Shurdom reiterated the 
GOJ,s hopes for re-establishing order in Iraq, and referred 
specifically to Jordan,s willingness to train Iraqi police 
officers, where Jordan has a comparative advantage. He also 
confirmed his readiness to discuss the practicalities of 
implementation with officials of the Coalition Provisional 
Authority at the earliest opportunity. Shurdom explained that 
the PSD works closely with Jordan,s General Intelligence 
Directorate on all border control issues, adding that Syrian 
cooperation on cross-border smuggling is non-existent (see 
reftel). According to Shurdom, Jordan is a transit country in 
the global drug trade, with contraband flowing primarily from 
the north through Jordan to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. 
 
4. (C) On the peace process, Shurdom reiterated the GOJ,s 
ongoing support and stressed that the PSD continues to work 
closely with its Israeli and Palestinian counterparts. When 
asked about terrorism in Israel and the Occupied Territories, 
he stated that support for Palestinian militants continues to 
flow from Syria, Iran and other regional actors. 
 
5. (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered. 
HALE