US embassy cable - 04AMMAN7660

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007660 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, EUR, INL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2009 
TAGS: PREL, JO, PL 
SUBJECT: POLISH POLICE PRESENCE IN JORDAN AT RISK 
 
 
Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE, REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  A high level USG approach in Warsaw is 
recommended to seek reevaluation of a decision to withdraw 
Polish trainers from the Iraq cadet program in Jordan.  End 
summary. 
 
2.  (C) Polish Ambassador Biera (protect) confirmed to Charge 
on September 15 that Poland,s Ministry of Interior had 
proposed to withdraw the ten police trainers participating in 
the Iraq police training program in Jordan, by the end of 
September.  He said the newly appointed Deputy Interior 
Minister did not support the program, unlike his predecessor, 
and based the decision on financial considerations.  Biera 
said he had hoped that King Abdallah,s recent visit to 
Poland would set the stage for an extension of the program, 
but to his knowledge the subject did not come up in the 
King,s meetings, nor did Polish Interior Ministry officials 
respond to the MFA,s invitations to join some of the visit 
events.  Biera is expecting a Polish official in Amman 
shortly for a final review of the matter.  Asked what the USG 
could do to help, Biera said a political message in Warsaw, 
appealing to the strategic nature of Poland,s contribution, 
could help elevate attention.  He suggested the approach be 
made to either the Foreign Minister or Deputy Foreign 
Minister Zolleski (phonetic spelling).  As for funding, he 
thought the Prime Minister ) a supporter of international 
action in Iraq ) could make funds available if asked. 
 
3.  (C) Biera described the King,s visit as &excellent8 
and primarily focused on deepening trilateral cooperation 
between Iraq, Jordan, and Poland.  A specific example he 
cited was the possibility of a trilateral partnership to 
upgrade, in Jordanian plants, old Soviet-era military 
equipment now in Iraq,s inventory. 
 
4.  (C) Recommendation:  Poland,s participants in the 
training program are among the best, and their sudden 
departure would handicap the program just as we seek to 
increase class sizes.  We urge consideration be made to the 
high level appeal recommended by Biera. 
HALE