US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1350

UNCLAS AMMAN 001350 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: JO, MARR, PREL 
SUBJECT: GOJ PREPARES TO SUBMIT ARTICLE 98 AGREEMENT TO 
PARLIAMENT 
 
 
 1.  Two local newspapers on February 13 reported for the 
first time that Jordan and the U.S. had entered into an 
Article 98 agreement on December 16, 2004.  Citing unnamed 
"diplomatic sources," Arabic daily Al-Ghad noted that the 
bilateral agreement was signed during King Abdullah's visit 
to Washington in December.  The revelation came as papers 
picked up on Washington-based reports that President Bush, in 
order to ensure disbursement of USD 250 million in economic 
aid to Jordan, had waived for six months a restriction 
barring U.S. assistance to countries that are party to the 
International Criminal Court (ICC) unless they had 
successfully concluded an Article 98 agreement. 
English-language daily The Jordan Times quoted the director 
of Foreign Minister Mulki's private office, Rajab Suqairi, as 
stating that U.S. aid to Jordan was not in danger since 
Jordan's membership in the ICC had not yet been ratified by 
Parliament (and thus technically was not part of Jordanian 
law). 
 
2.  During her weekly news conference on February 15, 
Government Spokesperson Asma Khader acknowledged that Jordan 
had concluded an Article 98 agreement, "which was required 
(by the U.S.) from several world countries."  She noted that 
Jordan had made amendments to the original version submitted 
by the U.S., including adding provisions so as not to exempt 
automatically U.S. citizens of dual nationality from ICC 
prosecution.  Khader said that the government would "very 
soon" be ready to present to the Lower House of Parliament 
the final agreement for ratification.  She stressed that the 
ICC was a "complementary judicial system" to Jordan's 
national courts. 
HALE