US embassy cable - 02AMMAN6926

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006926 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2012 
TAGS: PREL, US, JO, ICC 
SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98:  JORDAN EMPOWERS ITS UN PERMREP TO 
NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE U.S. 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 6463 
     B. AMMAN 6270 
     C. AMMAN 5626 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C)  PolCouns on November 26 separately queried Ali 
al-Ayed, personal assistant to Foreign Minister Muasher, and 
Samer Naber, MFA Legal Advisor, about the status of GOJ 
consideration of an Article 98 agreement with the U.S. 
PolCouns reiterated our desire to complete an agreement with 
Jordan as soon as possible, and recalled King Abdullah's 
previous statements to senior USG officials and the 
Ambassador that he wanted Jordan to conclude such an 
agreement if it was compatible with Jordanian law and the 
Jordanian constitution. 
 
2.  (C)  Ayed and Naber both acknowledged the King's interest 
in signing an Article 98 agreement with the U.S., and noted 
that the King had empowered the Jordanian PermRep in New 
York, Prince Zaid bin Raad, to negotiate with the U.S.  They 
both strongly recommended that contacts in New York continue 
to move the process toward an Article 98 agreement. 
 
3.  (C)  COMMENT:  As we have previously reported, the locus 
of GOJ action on Article 98 has moved from Amman to New York. 
 We understand that contacts with Prince Zaid continue.  We 
would appreciate any information that would allow us to be 
helpful in pressing the GOJ. 
GNEHM