US embassy cable - 05AMMAN2909

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002909 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: THINKING AHEAD: IRAQ TRAINING PROGRAMS IN JORDAN 
UNDER THE ITG 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 02714 
     B. BAGHDAD 01247 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (C) The recent row between Jordan and Iraq sparked by 
alleged Jordanian suicide bomber Ra'ed al-Banna demonstrated 
how brittle this bilateral relationship can be when 
mismanaged (on the Jordanian side in this instance) and how 
much emotional baggage the Iraqis in particular bring to the 
relationship.  King Abdullah and the GOJ remain fully aware 
of their strategic interest in continuing to develop robust, 
multi-layered relations with the Iraqi government and 
emerging Iraqi institutions.  This commitment includes doing 
all in their power to help stabilize and consolidate 
authority in Iraq, principally through the provision of 
facilities and staff to train Iraqis in many different 
fields, including badly needed security and military training 
(ref A).  Jordan's proximity to Iraq, reasonable travel and 
lodging costs, and experienced trainers make it a natural 
choice for training programs conducted outside Iraq.  And we 
invested a great deal in these facilities at a time when we 
had few other options to get training started rapidly.  Their 
continued use will be important to maximize the per-head cost 
of the training, to expose Iraqi trainees to an Arab model of 
policing and security that is markedly different from the 
Saddamist style, and to anchor in a practical way a critical 
relationship between Iraq and an Arab ally. 
 
2.  (C) Listed below are some of the more notable training 
programs, either ongoing or conducted recently with the 
potential for future training: 
 
-- Jordan International Police Training Center (over 14,000 
Iraqi police cadets trained to date) 
-- New Iraqi Army training (1,978 trained by Jordanian Army) 
-- Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (ICTF) training (Jordanian 
Special Operations Command) 
-- Training for Iraqi Air Force pilots and crews of the Iraqi 
Air Corps (Jordanian Air Force) 
-- Advanced military studies for Iraqi officers (Jordanian 
National Defense Institute) 
-- Training for Iraqi air traffic controllers and aviation 
inspectors (Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority) 
-- Training on bank inspections and open-market operations 
(Central Bank of Jordan) 
-- Information technology training provided to several Iraqi 
ministries (e.g., health, education, planning) 
-- Food inspection training (Jordanian Food & Drug 
Administration) 
-- Training of Iraqi nurses/staff nurses (Jordanian Ministry 
of Health) 
-- Census training (Department of Statistics) 
 
In addition to the GOJ-affiliated programs listed above, the 
private sector is also conducting considerable training in 
Jordan. 
 
3.  (C) With the standup of the Iraqi Transitional Government 
(ITG), the GOJ will be watching for signals of the new Iraqi 
leadership's attitude towards training programs here.  Post 
stands ready to work with the GOJ to help meet Iraqi training 
needs and to respond to ITG concerns about the Jordan-based 
programs. 
 
4.  (U) Minimize considered. 
HALE