US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1770

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001770 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2013 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, ASEC, EFIN, ETRD, CASC, CVIS, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 9 (3/24 1600 LOCAL) 
 
REF: FBIS GMP20030323000339 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Doug Silliman. Reason 1.5 (b,d). 
 
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General Overview 
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1. (U) The Embassy continues on a normal schedule, with 
consular services open.  Services at ancillary facilities -- 
the Peace Corps office and the American Language Center -- 
remain suspended. 
 
2. (C) A large demonstration (3,000 students) at Amman's 
Jordan University on 3/23 became unruly according to 
international television reports.  PSD security personnel 
used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators 
after they attempted to leave the campus. 
 
3. (C) Companies operating in Jordan's Qualifying Industrial 
Zones (QIZs) report no order cancellations or other problems 
since the beginning of U.S. military action against Iraq. QIZ 
businesses are operating as normal. 
 
4. (SBU)  Bilateral Debt Agreement Signed:  Local Arabic 
language newspapers covered in their economic pages the March 
23 signing of a bilateral debt rescheduling agreement by 
Ambassador Gnehm and Finance Minister Marto.  Reporting was 
factual, emphasizing assistance that the U.S. has provided 
Jordan and including the Ambassador's comments emphasizing 
the strength of the U.S.-Jordan relationship.  All the 
articles commented that this was part of an ongoing U.S. 
commitment to support Jordan and that war-specific aid is 
planned, but has not yet been approved. 
 
5. (SBU)  Japanese Economic Assistance to Jordan:  The 
Japanese Embassy confirmed that the Japanese government 
intends to provide $100 million to Jordan to mitigate adverse 
economic impacts on Jordan of the conflict in Iraq, 
particularly the disruption of oil supplies and trade with 
Iraq.  The assistance will be provided in the form of Yen 6 
billion (about $50 million) in a non-project grant, with the 
remainder project-based assistance.  Specific projects to be 
covered by this commitment have yet to be determined. 
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi provided this commitment to 
Foreign Minister Muasher. 
 
6. (C) The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that 120 
tractor trailer trucks carrying UN-approved food, medicine 
and other humanitarian goods to Iraq under the Oil-for-Food 
program have returned to Amman following the withdrawal of UN 
Cotecna inspectors from Iraq.  Additional shipments are being 
held in Amman.  The Ministry is now having to deal with 
exporting companies who are upset at the financial losses 
they and their employees face.  The Ministry told us that 
alternative markets for the goods, some of which are 
perishable, are not easy to identify. 
 
7. (C) Queen Alia Airport Director Nasri Nowar told econoff 
March 23 that "7 or 8" Iraqis who arrived in Amman on the 
last RJ flight from Baghdad (Amman 1661) remained at the 
airport.  He said they were awaiting transit to third 
countries, including a few to the United States.  He added 
that they held valid visas, and said they were going for 
training.  The remainder, he said, were bound for Lebanon or 
Africa.  Nowar said that passenger traffic continued to 
improve, and that normal operations continued. 
 
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Consular Issues 
--------------- 
 
8. (C)  No new issues.  Inquiries remain light. NIV applicant 
numbers are up from yesterday, although still fewer than 
normal. 
 
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GOJ Actions/Statements 
---------------------- 
 
9. (U) PM Abul Ragheb, FM Muasher and Minister of Information 
al-Adwan held a joint press conference on the evening of 
3/23.  Abul Ragheb: 
-- stated that Jordan is seeking "to present new ideas and 
opinions that would be acceptable to the parties concerned in 
order to stop the military operations and save Iraq and the 
lives of its citizens." 
 
-- reiterated the GOJ's long held public posture that Jordan 
"is not party to the ongoing war and will never be used as a 
launching pad for a military operation against Iraq." 
-- categorically denied that U.S. military operations in 
Iraq's western desert had been launched from Jordan. 
 
-- publicly confirmed that shipments of Iraqi crude had 
stopped and 
-- said the GOJ had asked the Iraqi Embassy to remove five of 
its diplomats for "performing acts that were incompatible 
with their diplomatic status and affect Jordan's security." 
(today's newspapers quote Abul Ragheb as saying that Jordan 
later allowed two of the five to remain.) 
 
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Security 
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10. (C) Demonstration by approximately 400 persons currently 
underway at Al-Zaytouna University on the airport highway 
outside Amman on the morning of March 24. Police sources 
expect rallies today at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Mu'tah 
University in Karak, and Arab College in Amman. Lawyers are 
reportedly engaging in an informal work stoppage today in 
protest over the war. 
 
11. (C) Leaflets depicting a dead Iraqi child with half his 
head blown off are being circulated at street corners and 
traffic lights.  The leaflets denounce the US and the UK as 
"criminals" and "murderers". (This is the same photo featured 
on the front page of yesterday's papers.) PSD is attempting 
to track down the source of the leaflets. 
 
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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues 
--------------------------- 
 
12. (C) UNHCR reports that two more Amcits crossed into 
Jordan from Iraq late on March 23.  GOJ authorities gave them 
permission to go directly to Amman.  Neither has contacted 
Embassy's consular section. 
 
13. (C) IOM reports that a second group of some 150 Sudanese 
left the Ruweished transit camp Sunday en route to Khartoum 
via an IOM-chartered RJ flight. 11 Egyptians were scheduled 
to leave Aqaba via bus that same evening. South African 
officials were scheduled to pick up eight "human shields" who 
arrived Saturday night. The camp population will be down to 
less than 100 after the above departures. UNHCR reports no 
new arrivals as of 1500 local time on March 23. 
 
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Press 
----- 
 
14. (SBU)  All major papers carried front page photos of the 
captured US soldiers, with emphasis on the strength of Iraqi 
resistance and setbacks to coalition efforts. Lead story: PM 
announced Jordan's launching of renewed diplomatic efforts to 
stop the war, and characterized the US-led assault on Iraq as 
"excessive use of force". 
GNEHM