US embassy cable - 02AMMAN3704

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003704 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PA/PR/FPC (ASILAS); NEA/PPD (JBAROODY, CBOURGEOIS); NEA/ARN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: JO SCUL OEXC 
SUBJECT: FPC REPORTING TOUR FOR NEAR EAST JOURNALISTS 
 
REF: SECSTATE 125633 
 
1.  THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION NOMINATES MR. ABDUL MAJID 
ASFOUR, ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITOR, AL RA'I NEWSPAPER.  FULL 
BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FOLLOWS: 
 
EXPORT-SOURCE: USIS EVDB 
VERSION: 3.0.0 
POST-EMAIL: BAMAWI@PD.STATE.GOV 
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS AMMAN 
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2887 
EXPORT-TYPE: BIO DATA 
START NOMINATION: 
USIA-OFFICE: E/VGN 
PROG-AGENCY-NAME: 
POST-PROJ-ID: 114 
USIA-PROJ-NO: 
PROJ-NAME: FPC REPORTING TOUR FOR NEAR EAST JOURNALISTS 
START MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
 
END MEMO PROJ-DESC: 
PROJ-TYPE: REGIONAL 
PROG-TYPE: IV GRANT VISITOR 
FY: 2002 
DEPART-POST: 08/09/2002 
SESSION-DATE: 08/11/2002 
RETURN-POST: 08/25/2002 
NO-OF-PART: 1 
RANK-ORDER: 1 
START MEMO POST-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO POST-RCMD: 
USIA-OFFICE-ID: 1039 
PROG-AGENCY-ID: 
PROJ-TYPE-ID: RP 
PROG-TYPE-ID: 29 
NOMINATING-POST-ID: 2887 
FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 2887 
STATUS: N 
ORIGINATOR: P 
SUBJ-DISC: PRINT JOURNALISM 
START BIO: 
PREFIX: MR. 
F-NAME: ABDUL MAJID 
M-NAME: JAMIL 
L-NAME: ASFOUR 
SUFFIX: 
PRINCIPAL?: YES 
M-ADDR1: P.O. BOX 6710 
M-ADDR2: 
M-ADDR3: 
M-CITY: AMMAN 11118 
M-STATE: 
M-CNTRY: JORDAN 
M-ZONE: 
M-ZIP: 
M-PHONE: (962-6) 660-0800 
M-FAX: (962-6) 560-3633 
M-EMAIL: 
M-CNTRY-ID: JO 
M-ADDRTYPE: B 
GENDER: M 
DOB: 03/19/1950 
MAR-STAT: M 
BIRTH-CITY: AMMAN 
BIRTH-CNTRY: JORDAN 
CITIZ-CNTRY: JORDAN 
RES-CNTRY: JORDAN 
START MEMO POSITION: 
ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITOR, AL RA'I NEWSPAPER AND ASSISTANT 
CHIEF EDITOR, ARABIC EDITION OF LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE 
MONTHLY 
END MEMO POSITION: 
START MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
MANAGING EDITOR, AL RA'I NEWSPAPER, 1987-2001; CHIEF 
REPORTER, AL RA'I NEWSPAPER, 1980-87; REPORTER, AL RA'I 
NEWSPAPER, 1971-80 
END MEMO PREV-POSITIONS: 
START MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO US-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
 
END MEMO OTHER-TRAVEL: 
START MEMO EDUCATION: 
B.A., JOURNALISM,  BAGHDAD UNIVERSITY, IRAQ, 1988 
END MEMO EDUCATION: 
START MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, GREATER AMMAN MUNICIPALITY, 1995-99; 
MEDIA ADVISOR, JORDAN TELEVISION AND MEDIA PRODUCTION 
COMPANY, 1987-89 
END MEMO MEMBERSHIPS: 
START MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
 
END MEMO PUBLICATIONS: 
START MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
NO PORK 
END MEMO SPEC-CONSID: 
FIRST-LANG: ARABIC 
ENGL-READ: 2 
ENGL-SPEAK: 2 
ENGL-COMP: 2 
START MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
MR. ASFOUR IS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITOR OF AL RA'I 
NEWSPAPER.  AL RA'I NEWSPAPER IS A SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC 
DAILY.  IT HAS THE LARGEST CIRCULATION IN THE COUNTRY.  MR. 
ASFOUR IS ALSO THE ASSISTANT CHIEF EDITOR OF THE ARABIC 
EDITION OF LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE MONTHLY.  HE HAS EXTENSIVE 
EXPERIENCE IN JOURNALISM PARTICULARLY IN COVERING POLITICAL, 
ISLAMIC AND LOCAL ISSUES.  HE IS A HIGHLY MOTIVATED 
JOURNALIST WHO CONSTANTLY SEEKS TO IMPROVE HIS PERFORMANCE 
AND HIS INFORMATION.  HAVING HAD NO PRIOR EXPOSURE TO THE 
U.S. SOCIETY, CULTURE AND POLITICAL SYSTEM, HIS 
PARTICIPATION IN THIS THEMATIC TOUR WILL ENHANCE HIS 
UNDERSTANDING OF U.S. MIDDLE EAST POLICY AND WILL INTRODUCE 
HIM TO THE ROLE OF ARAB AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. 
WE BELIEVE THAT BY NOMINATING MR. ASFOUR TO PARTICIPATE IN 
THIS PROGRAM, THE MISSION WILL PRESENT ITS VIEWS AND 
POLICIES TO NEW AND UNREACHED KEY AUDIENCE.  HIS 
PARTICIPATION SUPPORTS MPP OBJECTIVE ON "BUILDING DEMOCRATIC 
AND CIVIL SOCIETY." 
END MEMO NOM-POST-OBJ: 
START MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
 
END MEMO NOM-POST-RCMD: 
START MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
 
END MEMO VIS-OBJ: 
START MEMO VIS-REC: 
 
END MEMO VIS-REC: 
NOMINATING-OFFICER: PRESS SECTION 
START MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
 
END MEMO NOMINATING-JUSTIFICATION: 
NOM-OFF: PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION 
SPEAKER?: NO 
NOTIFY-EMB: YES 
MEDIA?: NO 
HOME-STAY: NO 
HOME-HOSP?: YES 
E-I-TYPE: INTERPRETER 
NOMINEE-ID: 211 
PERSON-ID: 210 
BIRTH-CNTRY-ID: JO 
CITIZ-CNTRY-ID: JO 
RES-CNTRY-ID: JO 
FIRST-LANG-ID: AR 
E-I-TYPE-ID: I 
NOM-POST-ID: 2887 
NOM-FUNDING-CNTRY-ID: 2887 
NOM-STATUS: N 
END BIO: 
END NOMINATION: 
 
2.  PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE. 
GNEHM