US embassy cable - 04AMMAN2129

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002129 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CAIRO FOR REFCORD, DEPT FOR PRM/A, DHS FOR BCIS, ROME FOR 
DHS DISTRICT DIRECTOR, ATHENS FOR DHS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF, ASEC, AMGT, JO 
SUBJECT: SECURITY EVALUATIONS OF REFUGEE PROCESSING SITE AT 
UNHCR COMPOUND - RUWEISHED. 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 03592 
 
     B. SECSTATE 202708 
     C. AMMAN 5629 
     D. SECSTATE 280847 
 
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS KEYED TO QUESTIONS IN REFTEL. 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
A. INTERVIEW SITE: 
 
The Regional Security Office, Amman, Jordan, conducted a 
security survey of the UNHCR compound in Ruweished on 08 
March 2004 and prepared the following report. 
 
1. The UNHCR compound is located in the town of Ruweished, 
population approximately 9,000 people.  Ruweished is 80 
kilometers East from the Iraqi border and approximately 285 
kilometers from Amman.  The Ruweished compound is 20 
kilometers from refugee camp Alpha.  The nearest town to 
Ruweished is Al Safawi.  The distance is approximately 50 
kilometers west.  The nearest military airbase is 40 
kilometers west. 
 
2. The UNHCR compound is approximately 40 acres surrounded by 
a 10 to 15 ft cemented wall.  East of the compound wall, is 
the village courthouse.  West of the compound wall is a 
school for girls and boys.  To the South and North is 
residential housing.  On the West side, is the main gate 
entrance.  A locally hired unarmed security guard controls 
access to the compound.  The UNHCR staff employees 6 locally 
hired security guards.  The majority of the guards are 
retired Jordanian military personnel.  The only security 
training these guards have received is from their military 
training.  Each guard performs an 8-hour shift.  The main 
entrance is the only way into the compound as well as out. 
The main office must clear all visitors, before entering the 
compound. 
 
3. Within the compound, is the UNHCR office building (a 
former residential house.  The office contains 5 office 
spaces, 1 radio room, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen.  It is 
approximately 350 sq. meters in size.  The stairwell leads 
only to the roof.  The building has 2 doors, one in the front 
and one in the back. Both doors are secure with key locks and 
bolt latch.   All of the office,s building windows are 
grilled. In case of an emergency, the grilled windows cannot 
be removed.  Inside the building, there are no smoke 
detectors and 1 fire extinguisher.  UNHCR personnel are 
provided with a first aid kit and have received training in 
first aid.  In case of an emergency, personnel are instructed 
to call the hospital or fire department, depending on the 
emergency.  The local emergency telephone number is 191. 
Both fire department and hospital are 3 minutes away from the 
compound.  The police station is approximately 3 minutes 
away.  The fire department is equipped with 2 fire trucks. 
The local hospital is equipped with 2 emergency vehicles and 
a helicopter-landing pad.  The hospital can provide the basic 
medical care, should the need arise.  Any other serious 
medical emergencies will have to be sent to Amman.  Due to 
the location of the village courthouse, the local police 
frequently patrol the area.  Crime in Ruweished is very low. 
 
4. The front gate security guard performs screening 
procedures into the UNHCR compound.  Any visits to the 
compound are coordinated with the front office.  If 
pre-screening and DHS refugees, interviews are to take place 
at the UNHCR compound, the refugees will be transported from 
No Man,s Land (NML) to the compound via bus.  Two local 
policemen will be inside the bus throughout the travel to the 
site.  Once the bus arrives at the compound, one guard is 
left inside the bus and another is inside the waiting room. 
UNHCR personnel handle only 15 refugees inside the waiting 
room.  Any additional cases would be kept outside in the bus 
or within site of the local policeman.  Refugees are handled 
by case number.  The actual interviews will be conducted in a 
small two-room cement building, located on the northeast 
corner of the perimeter wall.  The two interview rooms are 
about 20 meters away from the main building and are 
approximately 3 meters by 4 meters in size with one grilled 
window in each room and one fire extinguisher.  Entry and 
exiting can only be obtained by using the two front doors in 
each room.  No emergency exits are available.  Refugees are 
escorted by one of the staff personnel.  The US Refugee 
Admissions Specialist and Assistant will be conducting the 
interviews separately.  Personnel conducting refugee 
interviews are equipped with Motorola GP 340 radios. 
 
 
B. COMMUNICATIONS: 
 
5. UNHCR personnel have 3 modes of communication: cell 
phones, landline telephones, and Motorola GP340.  The radio 
room, located within the office building, has one channel 
link to the local police station.  This channel is used only 
in case of emergencies.  Each office room has a landline 
telephone that is operational.  All of the UNHCR employees 
have cell phones.   Security guards at the entrance gate are 
also equipped with Motorola GP 340 radios. The facility uses 
telephones and cell phones for all forms of communication. 
The equivalent of 911 in Jordan is 191 for an emergency.  In 
the event an officer is involved in an emergency situation 
he/she should call post,s marine security guard (post 
one)and/or the RSO,s office. 
 
 
C. HOTEL AND TRANSPORTATION: 
 
6. The town of Ruweished has no public transportation or 
hotel services.  UNHCR provides its personnel with (4) 4 x 4 
wheel drive vehicles, Nissan Patrol, for staff use.  Most of 
the roads in Ruweished are paved.  UNHCR have rented a 
4-bedroom home for any guest staying over night. The 
guesthouse is approximately 1 minute,s drive away from the 
compound.  Police and Fire Department is 3 minutes away from 
the guesthouse.  Ruweished hospital has a 3 minutes response 
time to the house.  On each of the windows there are bar 
grills that cannot be removed.   The house itself does not 
come equipped with any smoke detectors.  Security for the 
guesthouse is provided by a locally hired unarmed security 
guard.  UNHCR hires 3 guards to work an 8-hour shift on the 
residence.  The only security training the guards have is 
what they obtain during their military service. 
 
D. THREAT ASSESSMENT: 
 
7. While there has been no specific threat information 
concerning Ruweished, the following information specifically 
pertains to Jordan: 
While anti-West sentiment has been less pronounced since the 
end of the Gulf War, political issues involving post war Iraq 
and the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian situation continue to 
fuel resentment toward U.S. policy.  Warden messages 
disseminated in January and March 2004, alerted Americans to 
potential terrorist targeting of U.S. interests in Jordan, 
including hotels.  Recent incidents in Jordan remind us of 
the ability of transnational terrorist groups, as well as 
less sophisticated local elements, to target Americans and 
Western interests in Jordan.  In September 2003 13 
individuals were arrested for plotting attacks against U.S. 
and Jordanian targets, including the U.S. Embassy in Amman. 
In May 2003, three individuals connected to the Zarqawi 
network were arrested for planning attacks against foreigners 
and tourist locations.  The October 28, 2002 assassination of 
a U.S. diplomat in Amman outside his residence was ultimately 
linked to al-Qaeda.  Jordanian authorities arrested the 
assassins in December 2002.  In October 2002, Americans in 
Jordan were informed of a potential kidnapping plot by 
al-Qaeda. In December 1999, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda 
was arrested in Jordan.  This group was in the late planning 
stages of attacks against western hotels and tourist sites. 
The most recent published terrorist alerts have stated that 
extremist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks against 
U.S. interests worldwide. 
 
Crime is generally not a serious problem for travelers in 
Jordan, although petty theft is somewhat common in the 
downtown Amman Hashimiyah Square area and near the Roman 
amphitheater.  In the narrow streets of the old city and at 
some of the more popular tourist sites, crowded conditions 
invite pickpockets and other petty criminals. Travelers 
should be more guarded in these areas and not present easy 
opportunities to criminals.  American citizens and official 
visitors traveling in Jordan should exercise caution, be 
alert and stay informed of regional and local events that 
could quickly impact the security environment in the country. 
 It is also recommended to maintain a low profile and not 
establish predictable patterns of movement, even if only 
visiting for a short period. 
 
 
GNEHM