US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7578

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FONMIN MUASHER ON STATUS OF ARTICLE 98 NEGOTIATIONS

Identifier: 03AMMAN7578
Wikileaks: View 03AMMAN7578 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Amman
Created: 2003-11-20 17:12:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PREL MOPS JO
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

201712Z Nov 03
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM - BBODINE, NEA, AND NEA/ARN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, JO 
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER ON STATUS OF ARTICLE 98 NEGOTIATIONS 
 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b) (d) 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
WORKING SERIOUSLY TOWARD AN ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
1.  (C)  Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher told the Ambassador 
November 19 that Jordan wants to conclude an Article 98 
agreement with the U.S., and that he has instructed Jordanian 
UN PermRep Prince Zaid bin Raad to be "as flexible as 
possible" in working out bridging language between the U.S. 
and Jordanian drafts.  He said he understands that Prince 
Zaid and the Jordanian Mission in New York are in nearly 
daily contact with USUN and/or Washington, and asked Prince 
Zaid to follow up with a revised draft before the next 
negotiating session on November 26. 
 
2.  (C)  Muasher said that Jordan has two concerns that it is 
trying to address in negotiations.  First, Jordan wants to 
make sure that the agreement does not conflict in any way 
with its obligations as a signatory of the Rome Statute. 
Given this concern, as well as Jordan's chairmanship of the 
ICC member states group, he argued, Jordan cannot sign the 
same type of agreement as non-ICC members.  Second, Jordan 
cannot agree to language which might make it more difficult 
to prosecute individuals associated with forced population 
transfer, "an existential issue" for Jordan. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
3.  (C)  Muasher expressed a serious desire to sign an 
Article 98 agreement as soon as possible, and we are pleased 
that he has instructed Prince Zaid to be flexible on bridging 
language.  His rhetoric was firm, however, on his 
determination not to sign an agreement with language that did 
not protect the two Jordanian interests mentioned above. 
Given the short time before the King arrives in Washington 
(December 3), coupled with the intervening Eid holidays, it 
may be difficult to reach an agreement before the King meets 
the President; but the Foreign Minister pledged to be 
available -- even during a planned vacation -- if the 
Ambassador needed to reach him to resolve any issues that 
might arise. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET 
home page. 
GNEHM 

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