US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1701

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001701 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/20/2003 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, CASC, CVIS, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TF1ZO1: AMMAN SITREP 3 (3/20 2000 LOCAL) 
 
REF: FBIS GMP20030320000185 
 
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 2000 local time (1800 GMT) the situation in 
Jordan remains calm.  A steady rain throughout the day has 
kept many people off the streets.  A   demonstration not 
sanctioned by the GOJ (numbering in the low hundreds) has 
begun at the Professional Associations Complex in the 
Shmeisani area of Amman and is continuing at this time. 
According to an Embassy contact and a media report (which the 
PSD has not confirmed), there were some scuffles between the 
protesters and GOJ security during the course of the protest. 
 
2. (C)  The Director of the GOJ's Karameh crossing with Iraq 
told the official Petra News Service that the flow of 
travelers from Iraq has been "within normal rates," and 
totaled about 4,200 for the day, mostly Jordanians and 
individuals from other Arab countries (ref).  UNHCR reports 
that as of 1600 (local), 350 third country nationals (TCNs) 
had crossed into Jordan from Iraq.  The MFA believes a 
Jordanian taxi driver, Ahmad Walid Ragheb, was killed in 
Western Iraq.  Oil tanker truck traffic appears to be slowing 
significantly.  During a 2 1/2 hour period 3/20, a DATT 
officer sighted only 21 trucks crossing the border, 1/3 to 
1/2 of the rate on a normal day.  The GOJ has set up 
approximately 15 checkpoints on the road from Azraq to the 
border, and declared the Eastern Zone within the Ruweished 
District a closed  zone.  No access into the region will be 
allowed without a permit from the Crisis Management Center of 
the Interior Ministry. 
 
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Consular Issues 
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3. (C) As of 2000, we have not received any reports of Amcits 
crossing into Jordan from Iraq.  GOJ border officials have 
told UNHCR officials at the border that Amcits with proper 
identification would be allowed to travel directly to Amman. 
 
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GOJ Actions/Statements 
---------------------- 
 
3. (C) King Abdullah chaired a meeting of the State Security 
Council at the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) 
Headquarters during the afternoon.  According to the official 
Petra News Service, the King told the council "what worries 
us most is the suffering of the Iraqis and the catastrophic 
situation they are passing through . . . we will not spare 
any effort to shoulder our humanitarian duties towards the 
Iraqi people with a view to ease their suffering and overcome 
the effects of war."  PM Abul Ragheb affirmed that the GOJ 
will enforce the law and will not allow anyone to violate it. 
 
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Security 
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4. (C)  Cooperation with all GOJ security agencies continues 
to be excellent.  Additional security measures around the 
Embassy remain in place. 
 
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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues 
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5. (U) UNHCR Senior Logistics Officer Douglas Osmond reports 
that 350 TCNs (mostly Sudanese and a few Egyptians) have been 
screened, identified, placed on buses with police escorts and 
taken directly to the IOM/JRCS transit camp in Ruweished.  No 
Iraqi asylum seekers have thus far sought to enter Jordan. 
Of the 34 TCNS (again mostly Sudanese) that were detained at 
the border during the course of the day due to inadequate 
documentation, 15 were later cleared for entry into Jordan 
(to the Ruweished TCN transit camp) and 19 are still under 
review.  UNHCR has set up three tents at the border for these 
individuals and IOM is providing them with food and water. 
UNHCR also reports that approximately 100 meters beyond the 
last GOJ border post (and still within no-man's land), the 
GOJ has leveled off an area that could be used for a 
campsite.  The JRCS has erected 10 tents there and is putting 
in latrines and a water supply.  As of this report, UNHCR did 
not know the purpose for this new campsite.  UNHCR has been 
very satisfied with its degree of access at the border. 
 
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Press 
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6. (C) IO attended opening of UK government's press 
information center at an Amman hotel.  FCO briefer and UK 
Ambassador provided official statements and some background 
commentary to assembled international press.  Separately, the 
UN opened a briefing press briefing center, which intends 
daily briefings for international press on regional UN 
activities.  The majority of international press (including 
representatives of all major US TV and print media) resident 
in Jordan have relocated from Amman to Ruweished near the 
Iraqi border.  The GOJ has allowed journalists to operate 
there and to cover humanitarian and refugee issues at the 
Iraq/Jordan border.  The interest of the great majority of 
these journalists remains, however, gaining access to Iraq at 
such a time that it becomes safe to do so. 
GNEHM