US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1905

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001905 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2013 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, PREL, ASEC, CASC, CVIS, EFIN, ETRD, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 20 (3/31 1200 LOCAL) 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Gregory L. Berry for reasons 1.5 (B)(D). 
 
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General Overview 
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1. (C) The Embassy is operating on a normal schedule March 
31.  Consular services are open.  Activities at the American 
Language Center remain suspended, and there is only 
restricted activity by FSN's at the Peace Corps office. 
Movements of American staff remain restricted. 
 
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Consular Issues 
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2. (C)  Consular section began receiving phone calls asking 
whether the Embassy is open to receiving Iraqi applications 
for refugee status.  Callers are being told that "all refugee 
applications must first be approved by UNHCR before any 
receiving country can consider granting such status." 
 
3. (C)  Approximately 1:00 a.m. local time, Michael 
Birmingham, (Voices in the Wilderness, Chicago) telephoned 
the Embassy to say that his friend Ramzi Kysia, reportedly a 
U.S. citizen, with "Voices of the Wilderness" had departed 
Baghdad on Sunday, 3/30 at 9:00 a.m. by car for Jordan and 
had not been heard from since.  Mr. Birmingham said he had 
checked with the UN relief agencies working at the border and 
they did not think Mr. Kysia had crossed.  Mr. Birmingham 
said he would advise Embassy when he hears from his friend. 
 
4. (U)  Eight peace activists are staying in the Hotel Monzer 
in the Abdali section of Amman.  They plan to depart for the 
U.S. on Tuesday.  One activist, Mr. Weldon Nisly, is 
currently in the hospital and may not be able to travel.  If 
he does not travel, one other member of the group will remain 
with him.  Consular Section and RMO visited him March 31. 
The eight Amcits are: Leah Wilson, Margaret Gish, Shane 
Clayborne, Betty Scholten, Clifford Kindy, Kara McGill, 
Weldon Nisly, and Johnathan Hartgrove. 
 
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GOJ Actions/Statements 
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5. (C)  During a visit to the Public Security Division (PSD), 
Petra news agency reports that King Abdullah II hailed PSD 
for its work "in keeping the citizens' security and the 
homeland's stability," and reiterated respect for freedom of 
expression in Jordan.  The King pointed out that the 
Jordanian people's expressions of feelings about Iraq have 
been "conscious and responsible," embodying Jordan's "angry 
stand" on the consequences of the war on Iraq for civilians 
and in solidarity with them. (Ref FBIS GMP200330030000178) 
 
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Security 
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6. (C) Petra news agency reported that on Sunday Jordanian 
journalists condemned the "American-British invasion against 
Iraq."  The demonstration organized by the Press Association 
expressed support for Iraq "in the face of the vicious attack 
which claims the lives of hundreds of unarmed civilians." 
(Ref FBIS GMP200330030000175)  The item did not report how 
many people attended the demonstration. 
 
7. (C) There were a few small, non-violent gatherings in the 
city March 30, with a couple of gatherings scheduled for last 
evening.  No violence was anticipated with these known 
gatherings.  There was a candlelight vigil held by 100 - 200 
women at the UN offices.  100 press members marched to a 
press office near Jordan University.  Additionally, 700 
people demonstrated at the Professional Associations Complex, 
but did not leave that complex. 
 
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Economic and Trade Developments 
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8. (SBU)  Queen Alia International Airport Director Nasri 
Nowar reported that two planeloads (747s) of humanitarian aid 
from Japan will arrive at the airport March 31.  Nowar said 
the Japanese Embassy was playing the event up as a photo op 
with 60 Japanese journalists and the Ambassador of Japan 
expected to be in attendance.  He also said that Royal 
Jordanian flights to the United States will continue to 
operate once or twice per week, depending on loads, and that 
service to Europe both by RJ and European carriers was still 
running, albeit at reduced levels. 
9. (SBU)  The Amman Stock Exchange was down slightly by .36% 
on lower trading March 30.  Banking sector contacts said 
business was normal and emphasized, alluding to reports of 
unusual activity in the Saudi banking sector, that there were 
"no indications or suggestions" of capital flight in Jordan. 
 
10. (SBU)  Contrary to local press reports, Jordan Telecom 
(JT) has not reestablished telephone links with Iraq via 
alternative satellite routes.  JT Director of Marketing 
Olivier Faure said that, although the company had attempted 
to reroute calls through a number of different telecom 
providers (including MCI in the U.S. and British Telecom in 
the U.K.), it had not yet been successful.  Faure was not 
optimistic that connections would be established in the short 
term, given what he termed "the obvious damage" to the Iraqi 
fixed-line network, judging by the "ever-increasing" number 
of complaints by customers unable to reach friends and family 
in Iraq. 
 
11. (SBU) A QIZ company manager said that one of his major 
clients, accounting for half of his production, cancelled 
April orders due to the war.  He said another client asked 
him to put a confirmed May order on hold.  Embassy/Econ 
informed him of Embassy and Washington activities related to 
QIZ support during the crisis, and offered to contact his 
buyers if he desired. 
 
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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues 
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12. (S)  Military sources report that the two-truck MSF 
convoy has been located.  According to MSF, the trucks had 
been held at the Iraqi side of the Jordan-Iraq border since 
Wednesday, March 28 (no further details on why the trucks had 
been held).  The convoy reportedly left the Iraqi side of the 
border at 1200 yesterday (local time) and was expected to 
reach Baghdad by nightfall yesterday.  Iraqi customs and 
immigration officials continue to staff the border post on 
the Iraqi side. 
 
13. (C)  IOM reports that 26 TCNs crossed into Jordan from 
Iraq overnight (March 30-31).  Nine of them reportedly have 
document problems and are being held at no-man's land at the 
border.  An elderly Iraqi couple with health problems who 
seek permission to transit Jordan en route to Bahrain also 
are awaiting permission to enter Jordan.  UNHCR believes GOJ 
authorities will allow the couple to tranist Jordan.  IOM 
reports that a significant and ever-changing number of Somali 
and Sudanese nationals continue to insist that they do not 
want to return to their countries of origin.  The Somali and 
Sudanese nationals are long-term residents of Iraq (15 - 20 
years) who claim that they have no remaining ties to their 
home countries or any means of supporting themselves there - 
- or, in some cases, even getting back to their home 
villages.  IOM cannot forcibly repatriate these TCNs, nor can 
it offer any assistance (repatriation packages, etc.) to help 
convince them to go home.  UNHCR is interviewing everyone who 
says they don't want to return home but so far has not found 
that anyone meets UNHCR criteria for refugee status.  As long 
as the total transit camp population remains manageable 
(total population hovers around 250 right now, as IOM is 
making plans to repatriate people in small groups), IOM and 
the Jordan Red Crescent believe they can provide a minimal, 
acceptable level of care for the TCN population for the 
foreseeable future.  Without having been out to the camp, 
Embassy Refugee Coordinator suspects that many of these 
Somalis and Sudanese are hoping to wait out the war here in 
Jordan and then return to their homes/jobs in Iraq after some 
degree of stability has returned to Iraq.  So far, all of the 
relevant players - - including the GOJ - - seem inclined to 
let them wait it out, but it is not clear how long that will 
be true. 
14. (C)  Another emerging protection question is the status 
of Palestinians trying to enter Jordan.  18 Palestinians 
without any travel documentation were admitted to the transit 
camp in Ruweished, but UNHCR reports that over the last two 
days, two separate groups of stateless Palestinians (total of 
11 individuals) held overnight in no-man's land were 
"persuaded" by GOJ authorities to return to Iraq.  UNHCR is 
starting to suspect that these were not voluntary returns. 
The GOJ has made it very clear to everyone involved that it 
will not allow Palestinians to enter Jordan, but need to find 
a way to care for stateless Palestinians until it is safe for 
them to return to their homes in Iraq. 
 
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Press 
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15. (U)  No new issues. 
 
GNEHM