US embassy cable - 02AMMAN5922

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005922 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2012 
TAGS: PREL, JO, AID 
SUBJECT: DAS CHENEY MEETS WITH QUEEN RANIA:  US ASSISTANCE, 
WOMEN IN POLITICS, JORDAN FIRST. 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1.(C)  SUMMARY.  Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East 
Affairs Elizabeth Cheney met with Queen Rania Oct 8 prior to 
the third annual micro-entrepreneur awards ceremony, which 
was held at the recently opened Zara Expo Center in Amman. 
The Queen complimented the successes of AID programs in 
Jordan, noted the potential for further micro-finance 
development here and discussed with DAS Cheney ideas for 
empowering women in Jordan and the region.  The Queen 
lamented that Jordan's "track record is not good" regarding 
the election of women into parliament but was hopeful that 
this could change.  The Queen also articulated the GOJ's 
"Jordan first" theme, saying that "the region needs an 
example of a government that has a positive reflection on its 
people."  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.(C)  The Ambassador, DAS Cheney, AID Director Toni 
Christiansen-Wagner, Mrs. Gnehm and poloff met with Queen 
Rania and her personal assistant Oct 8 for a fifteen minute 
meeting prior to the micro-entrepreneur award ceremony. 
(Note:  the awards are given annually by a local 
micro-finance association to micro entrepreneurs who receive 
loans from AID for their business projects).  The Queen told 
DAS Cheney that the area of micro-finance was something in 
which she has a personal interest.  She also noted the 
successes of AID programs in Jordan: "AID is excellent here. 
It correctly identifies the areas of need, and realizes that 
many areas and programs are interconnected."  The Queen 
specifically noted AID's program on reproductive health as an 
area of success. 
 
3. (C)  On the issue of empowering women in the middle east, 
DAS Cheney explained that the Department will be hosting 65 
female political leaders from the middle east in the US 
during the upcoming November elections.  The women will be 
receiving campaign skills training and traveling outside 
Washington to observe grassroots campaigning in preparation 
for US mid-term elections.  Cheney explained that the US 
hoped this would be a kick-off event for a larger regional 
campaign school for women, with future activities to be held 
in the region.  The Queen expressed strong support for this 
program, and agreed that educating women on how to 
successfully organize a political campaign is essential for 
their success.  Noting that "organization is most important," 
the Queen cited the success of the Islamic Action Front in 
Jordan as due in large part to their strong organizational 
ability.  She said that Jordan's "track record is not good," 
on election of women to the parliament, noting that only one 
has been elected by popular vote (Toujan Faisal).  The Queen 
said that, in general, she is against a quota system to 
ensure women are in parliament, but that perhaps a quota 
system for the short-term would be necessary. 
 
4. (C)  On domestic politics, the Queen said that she would 
like to get Jordanians to focus on where politicians stand on 
"four or five" specific issues, and hoped that people would 
"move away from slogans" (i.e. exclusively anti-US and 
anti-Israeli rhetoric) in domestic politics.  She noted that 
it would be important for future elections to be about 
"Jordanian" issues that truly affect people's lives.  There 
are serious problems in Israel/Palestine and Iraq, the Queen 
said, "but my husband always says that we have to carry on," 
and that the government must focus on the needs of 
Jordanians.  She said that it is not always easy to 
communicate a message to the people but that, "the region 
needs an example of a government that has a positive 
reflection on its people." 
 
5. (C)  COMMENT.  The Queen's comments on domestic politics 
are an articulation of the GOJ's "Jordan first" strategy, and 
a further indication that during a period of heightened 
regional tension, the GOJ is working on all fronts to 
convince Jordanians that their interests must come first. 
 
6. (U)  DAS Cheney has cleared this message. 
GNEHM