US embassy cable - 02AMMAN3347

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003347 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2007 
TAGS: PREL, EAIR, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: FOLLOW UP ON RJ FLIGHTS TO IRAQ: FONMIN TALKS TO 
RJ PRESIDENT, MFA SAYS U.S. MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR 
 
REF: A. STATE 112154 
     B. AMMAN 3130 
     C. USUN 1531 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C)  Following up on our June 11 demarche on the 
frequency and regularity of Royal Jordanian (RJ) flights to 
Iraq (ref b), PolCouns met June 20 with Ali al-Ayed, Personal 
Assistant to FonMin Muasher, and Samer Naber, MFA Legal 
Advisor.  Ayed said that, since the June 11 demarche, the 
Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad had issued a circular diplomatic 
note retracting its earlier note (which had advertised RJ 
flights to Amman and offered diplomatic discounts).  He said 
the issue of RJ flights to Iraq was being discussed "at a 
very high level," noting that FonMin Muasher had spoken to RJ 
President Samer Majali about it earlier this week.  Ayed said 
the GOJ had heard the U.S. message "loud and clear" and had 
no intention of violating the UN sanctions regime on Iraq. 
 
2.  (C)  PolCouns reminded Ayed and Naber that it was not 
only the advertising of the flights, but their regularity and 
frequency, that had raised concerns in Washington.  He hoped 
that the GOJ would take these USG concerns into consideration 
in their internal deliberations. 
 
Gnehm