US embassy cable - 05AMMAN2297

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002297 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN EVACUATES ITS EMBASSY FROM BAGHDAD, 
DOWNPLAYS RECALL OF IRAQI AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 1199 
     B. BAGHDAD 1197 
     C. AMMAN 2218 
     D. AMMAN 2131 
 
Classified By: CDA Christopher Henzel for Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) The staff of the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad 
evacuated to Fallujah on March 20.  In Algiers, FM Mulki 
publicly denied that the Jordanian Charge had been "summoned" 
to Amman, but rather repatriated for security reasons.  Iraqi 
diplomats in Amman confirmed their Ambassador will go back to 
Baghdad for "consultations."  The Iraqi embassy in Amman, 
however, will remain.  With King Abdullah and other key 
decision-makers out of the country, the GOJ response to 
recent events continues to be disjointed.  End Summary. 
 
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JORDANIAN EMBASSY STAFF EVACUATED TO FALLUJAH 
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2.  (C) Contacts at the Jordanian Directorate of Military 
Intelligence (DMI) confirmed March 20 that all personnel 
evacuated from the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad had arrived 
safely at the Jordanian field hospital in Fallujah before 
nightfall that same day.  According to the Chairman of the 
Jordan Armed Forces (JAF), the Jordanian Defense Attach 
Office will continue to operate from the Fallujah hospital, 
while civilian diplomats and administrative staff will return 
to Amman.  The Chairman also stated that the JAF had deployed 
additional security forces along the Jordanian-Iraqi border 
and had increased the alert level of selected JAF units to 
prevent possible attacks within Jordan in retribution for the 
suicide bombing in Hillah allegedly perpetrated by a 
Jordanian (ref C). 
 
3.  (C) Jordanian FM Hani al-Mulki, currently in Algiers in 
the run-up to the upcoming Arab League summit, told reporters 
March 20 that the Jordanian Charge in Baghdad had not been 
summoned back to Amman, but had left the embassy -- which he 
described as "practically under siege" --  due to the "grave" 
security situation.  "We are hoping that the Iraqi police 
will devise a plan to protect the embassy.  Meanwhile, we 
have asked Charge d'Affaires Dimai Haddad to come back 
because he was living at the embassy," Mulki was quoted in 
local media.  Contradicting the JAF's account of the 
evacuation, Mulki added that the embassy had not halted 
operations and that Jordanian diplomats not living in the 
embassy compound would remain in Baghdad.  (NOTE: An MFA 
contact told poloff March 21 that FM Mulki had not been 
"fully informed" when he spoke to reporters in Algiers and 
that the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad was indeed completely 
closed.  END NOTE.)  Separately, GOJ minister spokesperson 
Asma Khader stated the Jordanian charge had arrived in Amman 
late on March 20 and would brief PM al-Fayez on the situation 
in Iraq.  She stressed that the ambassador's return did not 
mean that Jordan was "pulling him out of Baghdad," and said 
that the GOJ was "very keen on sustaining close brotherly 
ties with Iraq." 
 
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IRAQ RECALLS ENVOY TO AMMAN 
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4.  (C) Following the evacuation of the Jordanian embassy, 
Iraqi FM Zebari told the Associated Press on March 20 that 
the Iraqi government had recalled its ambassador from Amman. 
As reported ref A, the announcement apparently caught Iraqi 
diplomats in Jordan by surprise.  The Iraqi DCM told poloff 
late on March 20 that despite the departure of the ambassador 
to Baghdad for "consultations," the embassy would continue 
normal operations.  Phone calls on March 21 confirmed that 
the Iraqi Embassy in Amman remains open for business. 
 
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GOJ RESPONSE 
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5.  (C) After a series of relatively weak public statements 
regarding the alleged Jordanian suicide bomber in Hillah (ref 
D), government spokesperson Khader has taken a clearer stand 
in the last several days against violence in Iraq while also 
trying to quell claims that Jordan is anti-Shia.  During a 
March 19 press conference, Khader stated that Jordan's ties 
with Iraq were "never based on a certain group or race" and 
stressed that the GOJ had "no negative position or stand 
against the Shiites.  We have always respected the will of 
the Iraqi people in choosing their own leadership and future 
and will continue to do so."  Khader added that Iraq's 
stability was in Jordan's interest and that the GOJ had been 
very clear in condemning all acts of violence in Iraq. 
"Jordan strongly condemns any attack against the Iraqi 
people, in particular the hideous crime of Hillah which 
killed scores of innocent people."  At the same time, 
however, Khader sounded a defensive note, saying there was no 
proof that the Hillah bombing was carried out by a Jordanian 
and denouncing the burning of Jordanian flags by Iraqi 
demonstrators as "an affront" to the Jordanian people.  In a 
separate public statement on March 20, a Foreign Ministry 
spokesman affirmed that "Jordan strongly condemns all forms 
of terror acts that target Iraq's security and stability." 
The Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Abdul Hadi 
Majali, similarly reiterated Jordan's condemnation of all 
forms of terrorist attacks and killings in Iraq. 
 
6.  (C) Khader's response to the recall of the Iraqi envoy 
was more faltering.  While she called for calm during 
comments to the press on March 20, she denied (rather 
disingenuously) that there was any escalation of tensions 
between the two countries.  She emphasized that Jordan had 
been the target of terrorists before recent events in Iraq 
and specifically referred to the bombing of the Jordanian 
embassy in Baghdad in August 2003 (which the GOJ has pinned 
on the networks of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi).  "Statements by the 
prime minister, Cabinet officials as well as the Parliament 
clearly reflects Jordan's position against terrorist 
attacks," Khader added.  As an example of Jordan's commitment 
to fight terrorism, she highlighted the latest State Security 
Court decision announced March 20 that once again convicted 
Zarqawi in absentia for plotting terrorist attacks against 
Jordanian targets in Iraq (septel). 
 
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IN PRIVATE, CONSPIRACY THEORIES 
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7.  (C) Acting FM Saleh Bashir told CDA late March 20, 
without explaining the basis for his assertion, that the 
anti-Jordan demonstrations in Iraq were "financed by Ahmad 
Chalabi" and Iran.  Charge stressed the need for Jordan to 
put out a conciliatory line with senior public statements, 
given the long-term importance of Jordan's relations with the 
incoming government in Iraq.  Public speculation about hidden 
forces at work would exacerbate the situation. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8.  (C) With both the King and Foreign Minister out of the 
country, and those left behind well out of the loop, the 
GOJ's initial response to events has been disjointed.  Post 
will press available GOJ interlocutors to engage with the 
Iraqis and to maintain a conciliatory public position. 
 
9.  (U) Minimize considered. 
HENZEL