US embassy cable - 04AMMAN3126

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003126 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: GOJ REQUESTS INVESTIGATION OF ATTACK AGAINST 
JORDANIANS IN IRAQ 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Hale for Reasons 1.5 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (U)   On April 20, post received via fax a diplomatic 
note from the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding 
an attack on two Jordanian citizens, one of whom was killed, 
on April 14 while driving a vehicle in Iraq.  (A translation 
of the note in English is provided below in paragraph four.) 
According to the note, relatives of the victim and others 
have claimed that the car was targeted and attacked by an 
American military plane.  Accordingly, the GOJ is requesting 
that the Embassy ask relevant U.S. authorities to immediately 
investigate this incident and to determine what role 
coalition forces may have played. 
 
2.  (U) After receiving the diplomatic note, post forwarded 
April 21 an English language translation via e-mail to 
Colonel David Sabal, CPA Deputy Chief of Staff in Baghdad, as 
well as to Lt. Colonel Laura Shally, Assistant to CPA Chief 
of Staff Ambassador Stephen Smith.  Post requested that CPA 
provide any information on the incident to the Embassy for 
forwarding to the GOJ.  The note was also passed to the Iraq 
Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Center (HACC) at the 
Embassy for direct coordination with coalition military 
forces.  Charge discussed this matter April 21 with Omar Al 
Rifai, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
and promised to share all relevant information with the MFA. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT: News of the April 14 attack generated 
considerable negative publicity in the Jordanian press, 
reinforcing public opposition to the U.S. military occupation 
of Iraq.  To address this sentiment, an MFA "source" informed 
the press that it had delivered a diplomatic note to the 
Embassy "demanding more information" about the incident and 
the motives behind it.  Post would appreciate any follow-up 
information that U.S. authorities in Iraq could provide.  End 
comment. 
 
4.  (U)  The translated text of the diplomatic note is as 
follows: 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hashemite Kingdom of 
Jordan extends its greetings to the Embassy of the United 
States of America in Amman. 
 
Reference is here made to the shooting that took place in a 
car that was carrying Jordanian nationals Faleh Khader Abu Al 
Sheikh Al Zu'bi and Qasem Mohammed Oweid Abdulrazzaq on the 
fast road (Al Ramadi) in Iraq on April 14, 2004, which 
resulted in the death of the first man and injuries in the 
second. 
 
The Ministry would appreciate if the Embassy could kindly ask 
the concerned American authorities to investigate this 
accident in the absence of justifications for, or 
clarifications of, what happened by coalition forces in light 
of what has been said by relatives of the victims and letters 
from some popular and unions' activists to the Minister of 
Foreign Affairs that the reason for this accident was that 
the car they were using was targeted by an American military 
plane. 
 
The Ministry would also like to inform the Embassy and 
through it to the U.S. Government that the Jordanian 
nationals are civilians in Iraq doing business, and that Mr. 
Abu Sheikh is a lawyer, appointed by the Jordanian Lawyers 
Association. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes this opportunity to 
convey its highest appreciation and respect to the Embassy of 
the United States of America. 
 
5.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ or through the 
Department of State's SIPRNET site. 
HALE