US embassy cable - 05AMMAN8229

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 008229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015 
TAGS: AMGT, CVIS, PREL, SY, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: LOCAL SYRIAN EMBASSY BLOCKS U.S. 
DIPLOMATIC VISA REQUESTS 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Daniel Rubinstein for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) The Syrian Embassy in Amman has unexpectedly rejected 
15 U.S. diplomatic visa requests submitted during the last 
week.  One of the visa requests was officially denied, while 
14 were returned without processing or explanation.  The 
Syrian Embassy is currently holding another five U.S. 
diplomatic passports and accompanying visa applications. 
When asked the reason for its rejection of the visa requests, 
Syrian Embassy staff responded that they would no longer 
process Post's requests for visas in Jordan, and that all 
such requests must now go through the Syrian Foreign Ministry 
in Damascus.  They did not give a reason for this change in 
policy. 
 
2.  (C) Until this change, Post has regularly submitted 
requests for visas directly to the Syrian Embassy and, if 
sent early in the morning, often received the approved visas 
later that same day.  Although no official government 
business has been hampered by the recent denials, a 
CLO-sponsored shopping trip from Amman to Damascus has been 
canceled. 
RUBINSTEIN