US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1872

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001872 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2013 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, ASEC, CASC, CVIS, EFIN, ETRD, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 17 (3/28 1900 LOCAL) 
 
REF: FBIS GMP20030328000107 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Doug Silliman. Reason 1.5 (b,d). 
 
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General Overview 
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1.  (C)  Embassy Amman went off standfast at 1800 local after 
a mostly quiet day (see below).  The movement of American 
staff remains restricted. The Embassy will remain closed 
March 29 for the regular Jordanian weekend. 
 
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Consular Issues 
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2.  (U)  No new issues. 
 
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GOJ Actions/Statements 
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3.  (U) No new issues. 
 
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Security 
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4.  (C) Demonstrations were less extensive than anticipated 
in Amman March 28.  Approximately 3,000 demonstrators marched 
downtown following Friday prayers, a lower turnout than 
demonstrations a week ago. GHQ confided to our military that 
they were surprised (and pleasantly so) at the low turnout 
throughout the city. PSD notes the demonstrations were 
largely peaceful, though there was a report of some vandalism 
to a bus, and police reportedly chased and detained several 
demonstrators near the Kaludi mosque for chanting 
anti-government slogans.  Approximately 400-500 rock throwing 
protesters clashed with police in the southern city of Ma'an, 
but police report that the situation is now calm. 
 
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Economic and Trade Developments 
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5.  (U)  No new issues. 
 
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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues 
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6.  (SBU)  The Jordan-Iraq border remains open and staffed on 
the Iraqi side by Iraqi government officials.  IOM reports 17 
TCN's (9 Egyptians and 8 Somalis) arrived overnight March 
27-28.  The total transit camp population hovers around 170. 
IOM plans to repatriate 20-30 TCN's March 28 if flights are 
available. 
 
7.  (SBU)  Due to continued light population movements, IOM 
plans to downsize its operations March 28, reducing the 
number of buses at the border to five and pulling its 
expatriate staff out of Aqaba.  IOM said it could quickly 
beef up operations if required. 
 
8.  (SBU)  Recent TCN arrivals report the road from Baghdad 
to the border remains clear. One bridge is reportedly out 
near H1. The current rumor among Baghdad's TCN community is 
that it is safer to travel at night.  Consequently, most new 
arrivals appear at the border in the early morning hours. 
 
9.  (SBU)  Medical officials report three cases of TB in the 
transit camp.  The GOJ, WHO, UNHCR, IOM and health care NGO's 
in Ruweished are meeting March 28 to develop a management 
plan for the cases.  WHO advises that the infected people 
should not travel until they have "several clean slides," a 
process that could take up to two months.  WHO is also 
concerned about 10 reported diarrhea cases in the camp, which 
it attributes to poor camp layout and management by JRCS. 
 
10.  (SBU)  UNHCR reports that a seemingly destitute 
Palestinian family (elderly man with emphysema, two women, 
and two children) who arrived in no-man's land March 27 
decided early on March 28 to return to Iraq.  UNHCR is "very 
concerned" that the family might have been pressured to 
return. 
 
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Press 
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11. (SBU) With regard to reports of American and Western 
journalists who have "disappeared" from Baghdad in recent 
days (see paras 8-10 of Amman 1869), a local "fixer" working 
for Newsday in Jordan told the Embassy March 28 that she has 
raised the case of the missing journalists with the Iraqi 
Press Attache in Amman, who has "promised to look into it". 
The "fixer" notes that it is possible the bus scheduled to 
deport the journalists to the border on Tuesday may have been 
delayed by heavy duststorms in the region. 
 
GNEHM