US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1699

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001699 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2013 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, ASEC, CASC, CVIS, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TF1ZO1: AMMAN SITREP 2 (3/20 1530 LOCAL) 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
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General Overview 
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1. (C) As of 1530 local (1330 GMT), the situation throughout 
Jordan is calm, and street traffic and activity is lower than 
normal.  Several peaceful demonstrations are ongoing and 
others are planned for later today, however there have been 
no reports of any disturbances.  Amman's Queen Alia 
International Airport remains open. While non-regional air 
carriers have suspended service, and Royal Jordanian 
Airline's 3/20 and 3/21 flights to Baghdad have been 
canceled, other commercial services are continuing.  RJ's 
3/20 flight to Chicago via Shannon, Ireland is still 
scheduled to depart as usual.  As of early morning, oil tank 
trucks were still entering Jordan from Iraq, but the 
Jordanian Oil and Finance Ministries did not expect this to 
continue for long.  Press reports described traffic along the 
Amman-Baghdad highway on the Jordan side of the border as 
very light. At mid-day, the Amman Stock Market was up 2.5 
percent, with Embassy business contacts expressing relief 
that a period of uncertainty had come to an end.  No 
shortages of goods have been reported, although sales of some 
specialty items (baby food, imported goods, and medicine) are 
heavier than usual. 
 
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Consular Issues 
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2. (C)  The Consular section had received about 50 calls by 
mid-day from American citizens, most of whom were confused 
about whether the USG had ordered them to depart Jordan.  The 
Embassy has disseminated three cleared warden messages (the 
onset of hostilities, the worldwide caution, and the travel 
warning for the Middle East and north Africa) to the American 
community to clarify the situation.  The Embassy is prepared 
to send ConOffs to Ruweished transit camps and/or the 
Jordanian-Iraqi border to identify and assist Amcits, if 
necessary.  No Amcit crossings from Iraq into Jordan have 
been reported thus far. 
 
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GOJ Actions/Statements 
---------------------- 
 
3. (C) Foreign Minister Muasher was interviewed on CNN at 
approximately 1030 local time.  His main points were that 
Jordan is not participating in the military operation and 
will not be used as a launchpad for attacks on Iraq, that it 
will rely on the "good offices" of the U.S. and UN to rebuild 
Iraq, that there must be a renewed focus on resolving the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that a limited number of 
U.S. troops are in Jordan operating Patriot missile 
batteries, training Jordanians and conducting relief 
operations. 
 
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Security 
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4. (C) The Public Security Directorate (PSD) has provided 
additional support to the Embassy, as pre-arranged, and we 
remain in close consultation with all GOJ security agencies 
and are monitoring developments.  PSD reports that small 
peaceful demonstrations (100-200 people) occurred this 
morning at the Baqa'a and Wihdat Palestinian refugee camps, 
and that the Lawyers' Professional Association has organized 
a small (250 person) government-approved march from the main 
courthouse in Amman to the city center.  Additionally, 
students are planning mid-day demonstrations at three 
universities (the Arab College, Zarqa University and 
Al-Hashimiya University).  PSD expects these gatherings to be 
peaceful and confined to university grounds, but will have 
additional security personnel on hand to ensure order. 
 
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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues 
--------------------------- 
 
5. (U) As of 1200 local time, the only population movement 
toward the Jordanian border has been 200 third-country 
nationals (TCNs) -- mostly Sudanese citizens.  No Iraqi 
asylum seekers have yet approached the Jordanian border. 
According to IOM country director Georgette Hoshe, 12 TCNs 
have been denied entry by the GOJ.  The group of 12 includes 
some Sudanese diplomatic passport holders, Sudanese traveling 
on expired Sudanese passports, and one Sudanese national from 
southern Sudan who wants to seek asylum in Jordan.  The GOJ 
will not allow the Sudanese to enter Jordan until someone 
from the Sudanese Embassy comes to the border to screen the 
Sudanese nationals.  IOM has thus far been unable to locate 
anyone from the Sudanese Embassy and, along with UNHCR, is 
providing tents, water and food for this group. 
 
6. (U) The remaining 188 TCNs have been moved to the 
IOM/Jordanian Red Crescent Society (JRCS) transit camp in 
Ruweished.  IOM is arranging meals and transportation for 
these individuals.  Poor weather conditions -- high winds and 
blowing sand -- continue to make it difficult for UNHCR and 
JRCS to erect tents.  That said, UNHCR had erected 30 tents 
at the refugee camp and JCRS had set up 200 tents at the 
transit camp at last report, sufficient to deal with current 
numbers.  UNHCR says it will be able to set up additional 
tents according to demand. 
 
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Press 
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7. (SBU) All major Jordanian dailies ran 24-hour operations 
in anticipation of war and thus covered the cruise missile 
attacks (described as efforts to assassinate Saddam), plus 
President Bush's statement on the outbreak of hostilities. 
Editorials, undoubtedly written before the beginning of 
hostilities, predict that while U.S. military victory may be 
inevitable, the real test will be how America deals with the 
consequences, particularly the "mosaic" of potentially 
hostile ethnic groups in Iraq.  Liberal daily Ad-Dustour's 
columnist Batten Ali Warden held both "the Washington gang" 
and the Iraqi regime responsible for the war -- the Iraqis 
because of their long history of mistakes.  Semi-official 
Ar-Rai's columnist and Health Minister Abdul Rahim Melhas 
stated that while Arab regimes might have their reasons for 
standing by the U.S., America was losing the battle of hearts 
and minds, and he referred to the Arab "culture of martyrdom" 
and penchant for last stands.  Finally, papers reported that 
yesterday the French Embassy was being showered with bouquets 
from appreciative Jordanians. 
 
GNEHM