US embassy cable - 02AMMAN3888

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003888 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2012 
TAGS: PREL, LICC 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: BILATERAL AGREEMENTS ON THE INTERNATIONAL 
CRIMINAL COURT 
 
REF: STATE 135262 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM; REASONS:  1.5 (B) (D) 
 
1.  (C) The Ambassador raised the proposed bilateral 
agreement on the ICC (reftel) with Prime Minister Abul Ragheb 
on July 15.  The Prime Minister said that Jordan agrees with 
the U.S. approach at the policy level, but will have to 
examine the legal issues involved, such as the legal 
precedence of international as opposed to bilateral 
agreements.  In principle, he said, Jordan is supportive of 
the U.S. position and shares some of the U.S. concerns about 
the ICC and peacekeeping operations.  (Note:  King Abdullah 
took the same position previously in a conversation with a 
visiting senior American official.) 
 
2.  (U) Also on July 15, the DCM met with Ali al-Ayed, 
personal aide to the Foreign Minister, and delivered the 
talking points in reftel.  He reminded Ayed that Jordanians 
at the highest levels had accepted the American approach in 
principle, and he provided a copy of the draft agreement as a 
non-paper.  Ayed said he would pass the draft to the MFA's 
lawyers for a quick review and get back to us with a 
substantive response. 
Gnehm