US embassy cable - 05AMMAN4664

UNCLAS AMMAN 004664 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS COMMAND CENTER, DS/IP/NEA, NEA/EX, INL; 
BAGHDAD FOR INL AND CENTCOM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: DISTURBANCE AMONG IRAQI POLICE TRAINEES AT JIPTC 
 
REF: DS/CC AND RSO AMMAN TELECONS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  On the evening of June 10, Iraqi police 
officers and police cadets at the Jordanian International 
Police Training Center (JIPTC) engaged in unruly and at times 
violent conduct over the course of three hours.  Several 
hundred trainees damaged thirty vehicles, broke windows of 
four administrative buildings, and injured six JIPTC security 
personnel and one Jordanian police officer.  The trainees 
returned to their barracks after GOJ police responded and 
calmed the situation through negotiations.  A firearm stolen 
from a Jordanian police vehicle was subsequently recovered. 
JIPTC resumed a modified training schedule June 11, and 
expects to return to normal operations June 12.  END SUMMARY 
 
2.  JIPTC, a facility run by State/INL and DoD utilizes 
international police officers/contractors and GOJ police 
officers to train Iraqi police cadets.  Of the 3,000 Iraqis 
presently training at JIPTC, approximately 1,300 of them are 
active duty Iraqi police, who are receiving their basic 
police training for the first time. 
 
3.  On Friday June 10 from approximately 2200 hours to 0100 
hours June 11, an estimated 1,500 Iraqi police and police 
cadets became disorderly; roughly 400 of these played an 
active role in the destruction of property and assaults on 
security personnel.  As a result of the riot, thirty official 
and personal vehicles were damaged, and windows were broken 
in four JIPTC administrative buildings.  Six JIPTC security 
personnel (contracted through DynCorp) and one GOJ police 
officer suffered minor injuries after rioters hit them with 
rocks or physically assaulted them. 
 
4.  The disturbances may have grown out of rumors circulating 
in the camp that cadets returning overland to their homes in 
Iraq had been attacked by insurgents, and by fear that four 
trainees in the infirmary were about to be dismissed and also 
sent home overland. A large group of cadets removed these 
four from the infirmary, and, emboldened by this success, 
began stoning buildings and vehicles.  However, senior 
Jordanian police officials have expressed doubt that the 
rumored insurgent attack was the true reason for the riot, 
and are conducting investigations. 
 
5.  GOJ security responded in force but opted to calm the 
situation through negotiations rather than to actively 
confront the rioters.  After discussions with the GOJ police 
were held, the rioters returned to their barracks.  It was 
later discovered that a weapon was stolen during the riot 
from a severely damaged GOJ police vehicle.  Consequently, 
the JIPTC telephone tree was activated to advise all 
international police trainers to avoid the center until 
further notice.  After addressing the trainees, JIPTC staff 
was successful in recovering the weapon with all of its 
ammunition. 
 
6.  The situation in JIPTC is presently calm.  Iraqi trainees 
were put through a full day of marching drills and physical 
training June 11.  Some were authorized to proceed on a 
previously-scheduled educational field trip, with Jordanian 
security escorts as is normal practice.  International police 
trainers will return to JIPTC June 12, and the center will 
proceed with a full normal training schedule.  JIPTC staff 
and GOJ police will continue efforts to find those 
responsible for the riot and to prevent a similar event from 
occurring.  JIPTC staff will proceed cautiously, however, to 
avoid inciting further disruptions. 
HENZEL