US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6068

UNCLAS AMMAN 006068 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
CPA FOR HAMROCK, HARBERT 
CAIRO FOR ATO CHAUDRY 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: Chicken in Transit to Iraq via Jordan 
 
REF:  AMMAN 3878 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED.  THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. 
 
1.  (SBU)  Post would appreciate urgent guidance on the 
following two diplomatic notes from the Jordanian 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  They request guidance from 
appropriate Iraqi authorities on how to deal with a 
consignment of frozen chicken being shipped to Iraq from 
Saudi Arabia across Jordanian territory.  Jordanian 
officials are currently holding the shipment, which does 
not have a valid health certificate (according to 
Jordanian procedures), at the al-Omari border crossing 
between Jordan and Saudi Arabia. 
 
2.  (sbu)  Given the questionable health safety of the 
chicken, the Jordanian government would prefer to deny it 
passage through Jordan so as to protect Iraqi consumers. 
As explained in reftel, Jordan feels that it has a moral 
obligation to prevent unsafe food from reaching Iraq, but 
does not have a legal mechanism for doing so.  The GOJ 
feels it would be in a stronger legal position with the 
shippers if they can say they are acting at the request 
of the Iraqi government. 
 
2.  (SBU)  TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTES. 
 
Number :MK/2/14/1393 
Date: 9/14/2003 
 
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs presents its compliments to the Embassy of the 
United State of America in Amman and wishes to inform the 
Embassy that a consignment of frozen chicken of Brazilian 
origin is currently being held at the Al-Omari border 
(Jordanian/Saudi border).  The consignment has been 
stored for many months in Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. and is 
not accompanied by a health certificate to prove that it 
is free from epidemic contagious diseases.  The owners of 
this consignment are requesting to transport it through 
transit to Iraq. 
 
The Ministry wishes to inform the Embassy that the 
concerned authorities in Jordan would like to know the 
opinion of the concerned Iraqi authorities whether to 
accept or reject this consignment. 
 
Number :MK/2/14/1421 
Date: 9/15/2003 
 
With reference to the Ministry's note No. MK/2/14/1393 
dated September 14 2003, the Ministry wishes to inform 
the Embassy that the certificate of origin that 
accompanies the mentioned consignment was issued by the 
Islamic Da'wa Center in Brazil on November 8, 2002.  The 
consignment arrived in Saudi Arabia on February 19, 2003, 
according to the stamp of the Saudi Arabia Chamber of 
Commerce. 
 
The procedures followed in Jordan state that the health 
certificate to accompany the consignment to prove 
shipment validity should be issued a month before 
shipment arrival to the Jordanian borders. 
 
The Ministry greatly appreciates if the Embassy informs 
the Ministry, as soon as possible, if the Iraqi 
Authorities do accept the entry of the shipment via 
Jordan without the mentioned health certificate, 
otherwise the Jordanian Authorities will reject to 
transit the said shipment via its borders. 
GNEHM