US embassy cable - 05AMMAN7415

UNCLAS AMMAN 007415 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR UNDER SECRETARY SHINER FROM CHARGE HALE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2010 
TAGS: BEXP, EINV, ELAB, ETRD, KSEP, SENV, JO 
SUBJECT: DUE DILIGENCE FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S 2005 
AWARD FOR CORPORATE EXCELLENCE:  JORDAN NOMINATION 
 
REF: STATE 165617 
 
Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B), (D) 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR FOREIGN DISSEMINATION. 
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. 
 
1.  (U)  Embassy Amman's Country Team reaffirms our 
nomination of Cisco Systems for the Secretary's 2005 Award 
for Corporate Excellence.  Cisco clearly excels in adhering 
to its core value of corporate social responsibility, and we 
are glad to respond to your request for further due diligence 
on the issues described in reftel.  Thank you for your 
interest in Cisco Systems in Jordan as a model of corporate 
excellence. 
 
2.  (SBU/NF) Following answers are keyed to questions in 
paragraph 4 of reftel (repeated here): 
 
A) Could there possibly be any downside or embarrassment 
caused by the selection of your post's nominee? 
 
ANSWER:  None that post is aware of.  King Abdullah hosted 
Cisco CEO John Chambers at the Jordan ICT Forum in 2004; 
Chambers left a very positive impression with members of the 
ICT sector.  Cisco has partnerships with two reputable 
information technology companies in Jordan -- Rubicon and 
Estarta -- in addition to offering its products through the 
retail market. 
 
B) Do you have any information concerning job creation in the 
United States resulting from the operations of the company 
you nominated? 
 
ANSWER:  We do not have specific information, but note that 
worldwide, Cisco Systems employs over 37,000 individuals. 
The high-technology nature of the internet-protocol based 
networking technologies and services that Cisco offers - and 
the company's stable growth - are strong indicators that the 
company will continue to have a positive impact on job 
creation in the United States, either directly or through 
backward linkages and downstream businesses in the U.S.-based 
high-tech sector. 
 
C) What is your assessment of the company's trade and 
investment activities with regard to helping stimulate 
economic growth in the U.S. and increasing American exports 
(what is the U.S. content of its products)? 
 
ANSWER:  Cisco Systems continues to have a significant 
presence in California, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and 
Massachusetts.  Cisco Systems leverages partnerships globally 
to produce and export U.S. manufactures with high levels of 
U.S-based intellectual property.  The high-technology nature 
of its core business assures its role in making a strong 
contribution to U.S. economic growth. 
 
D) What is the state of labor conditions in the company's 
facilities and are workers unionized? 
 
ANSWER:  In Jordan, Cisco's partners are considered to be 
model employers.  The majority of employees in these firms 
are professionals; compensation is reportedly viewed to be 
higher than the local average.  These employees are likely to 
be members of nationwide professional associations.  Nothing 
would prevent workers in these companies from forming a union 
under the laws of Jordan.  Worldwide, Cisco prides itself on 
its high level of employee relations and commitment to a 
diverse workforce in an inclusive work environment. 
 
3.  (SBU/NF) In response to reftel paragraph 5 on the alleged 
use of Cisco products for repressive measures, Post has no 
information at its disposal to indicate such use in Jordan or 
elsewhere.  Computer equipment of all types is used in Jordan 
for legitimate purposes in the Global War on Terrorism.  We 
believe that some Cisco IP systems may be used in cooperative 
efforts to pursue legitimate objectives regarding security in 
line with Jordanian and U.S. laws. 
HALE