US embassy cable - 05AMMAN7777

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007777 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
FOR NEA IRAQ DESK OFFICER MAGGIE HABIB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, JO, IZ 
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR THE VISIT AMBASSADOR JEFFREY AND 
INTERAGENCY DELEGATION 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 5803 
 
     B. AMMAN 7273 
     C. STATE 170754 
     D. AMMAN 7601 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (S) King Abdullah views the success of the Coalition 
effort in Iraq as essential to Jordanian national security 
interests.  The GOJ provides important political and 
logistical support for U.S. activities in Jordan that 
contribute to the Iraq effort, most notably training for 
police, for military officers and specialists, and for Iraqi 
government regulators.  Despite solid GOJ support for U.S. 
efforts in Iraq, our policies there are highly unpopular with 
the Jordanian public as they are in much of the Arab and 
broader Islamic world.  The Jordanian Government pays an 
internal political price for its alignment with us on Iraq. 
 
============================ 
PM BADRAN,S VISIT TO BAGHDAD 
============================ 
 
2.  (C) You will be meeting with the GOJ leadership shortly 
after its significant political opening to the ITG as 
demonstrated by the visit of Prime Minister Adnan Badran on 
September 10 to Baghdad, the first visit of a senior Arab 
state official to Iraq since the fall of Saddam.  Badran, who 
was accompanied by four other cabinet members during his 
visit that included meetings with Vice President Adel Abdul 
Mehdi and PM Ibrahim Jaafari, told the latter that he 
expected to see further ministerial-level meetings soon 
within the framework of the Jordan-Iraq Joint Higher 
Committee. 
 
3.  (C) In addition to serving as a secure platform for the 
USG for Iraq-related efforts, Jordan is also important to the 
private sector,s role in Iraq reconstruction and shipping; 
Iraq-related economic activity has contributed to much of 
Jordan,s 7 percent GDP growth over the past year.  Border 
security is an important GOJ concern, and considerable USG 
assistance is directed at helping the GOJ improve control 
over its frontiers. 
 
4.  (S/NF) In our country team,s assessment, the Jordanian 
security services are doing their best to intercept young 
men, whether Jordanian or foreign, of military age headed to 
Iraq. 
 
5.  (U) Background on other topics that may come up during 
your conversations with the GOJ follows: 
 
============================ 
JORDANIAN AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ 
============================ 
 
6.  (C) In July, Jordan named retired General Ahmad Salameh 
al-Lozi as Ambassador to Iraq, a welcome step we had long 
sought, though he has not yet presented his credentials or 
moved to Baghdad.  The GOJ is seeking more secure 
arrangements in Baghdad for their Embassy and its staff 
before al-Lozi takes up his duties there. 
 
==== 
DEBT 
==== 
 
7.  (C) The GOJ argues that the $1.3 billion Iraq owes under 
the old Iraq-Jordan Trade Protocol is not sovereign debt; the 
USG rejects this position (ref C) and we have urged Jordan to 
grant Iraq terms at least as generous as those granted by the 
Paris Club.  The GOJ is unlikely to agree, simply because it 
is already under considerable fiscal stress due in part to 
the ballooning cost of its fuel subsidy program.  With the 
revival of the Jordan-Iraq Joint Higher Committee following 
the Badran visit, we expect the two sides will resume 
discussion of a solution bilaterally, which had been reached 
under the Allawi interim government. 
 
======================================= 
MILITARY TRAINING FOR IRAQIS IN JORDAN 
======================================= 
 
8.  (S) On September 25, Chairman of the Jordanian Armed 
Forces, General Sarairah, laid out for Ambassador Khalilzad 
additional opportunities for Iraqi military training in 
Jordan, stressing that training here not only affords Iraqi 
forces the opportunity to improve weapons and tactical 
skills, but carries the potential to improve understanding of 
democratic values and the appropriate role of the military 
within a democratic society.  Specifically, Sarairah offered 
continued use of the existing New Iraqi Army training camp in 
Jordan, intelligence training, additional training for units 
of Iraqi border security and customs agents, and the option 
to embed an Iraqi unit in a similar parent organization of 
the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF).  Sarairah also offered 
additional equipment transfers from Jordan to Iraq, available 
within the JAF as a result of the recently completed JAF 
Strategic Defense Review.  Ambassador Khalilzad thanked 
Sarairah for his offer, and promised to pass it to the Iraqi 
government. 
 
================== 
Saddam,s Daughters 
================== 
 
9. (S/NF) There are periodically media and other reports that 
Saddam,s two daughters living in Jordan, as well as alleged 
former regime officials in exile here, are actively aiding 
insurgent forces in Iraq through financial contributions 
and/or operational planning.  However, the Jordanian General 
Intelligence Directorate (GID) keeps Saddam,s relatives here 
under close watch, and shares details on this coverage 
through intel channels.  The GOJ remains ready to expel or 
consider other requests for action against Iraqis accused of 
wrongdoing here. 
HALE