US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2233

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002233 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2013 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, PREL, ASEC, CASC, CVIS, EFIN, ETRD, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 35 (4/13 1745 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) Amman was calm throughout the weekend.  We did not 
hear reports of significant demonstrations or protests 
anywhere in the country. 
 
2. (SBU) The Embassy opened April 13 for normal business. 
Activities at the American Language Center and the Peace 
Corps offices remain suspended.  Movements of American 
personnel remain restricted.  The investigation continues 
into the April 8 shooting incident involving an Embassy TDYer. 
 
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Consular Issues 
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3. (C) One purported Amcit currently is being held at 
no-man's land at the Trebil border crossing after he was 
refused entry by Jordanian authorities.  The Amcit told UNHCR 
and GOJ authorities that he would voluntarily return to Iraq 
but wanted to wait until other members of his traveling party 
arrived at the border.  He refused to show his passport to 
UNHCR officials.  This purported Amcit is traveling with a 
large group of Iranians suspected by the GOJ of being members 
of Mujahidin-e-Khalq (MEK).  We presume that the purported 
Amcit is of Iranian origin as well.  Conoff will attempt to 
get identity of Amcit from GOJ authorities.  If successful, 
we will provide the identity immediately to the task force. 
 
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GOJ Actions/Statements 
---------------------- 
 
4. (U) Local press gave prominent coverage April 13 to King 
Abdullah's and Queen Rania's April 12 blood donation for 
Iraqi war casualties.  The official Petra News Service stated 
"Their Majesties donated their blood for the Iraqi wounded to 
consecrate their support for the Iraqi people and reflect the 
bonds of blood and brotherly ties between Jordan and Iraq." 
 
5. (U) The Petra News Service also quoted Jordan Armed Forces 
(JAF) General Mohammad Majed al-Eitan, Director of the 
national Crisis Management Center, as saying that Jordan 
would set up a field hospital in Iraq as early as next week 
to provide medical services: "Consultations are currently 
underway with members of the Iraqi Embassy in Amman and 
coalition forces in Baghdad to send the field hospital that 
will be able to carry out general surgery as well as provide 
emergency medical services." 
 
6. (U) Minister of Information Mohammad al-Adwan called April 
12 for coalition forces in Iraq to put an end to civil unrest 
in Iraq.  Al-Adwan stated "We express our concern over the 
anarchy, looting and vandalism under way in Baghdad and other 
regions of Iraq.  Maintaining security and stability must be 
the priority in Iraq, as well as providing immediate 
assistance to the brethren Iraqi people." 
 
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Security 
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7 (U)  No new issues. 
 
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Economic and Trade Developments 
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8. (u)  First quarter export figures released by the Irbid 
Chamber of Industry show a 45% increase over exports from Q1 
of 2002.  QIZ garment exports continue to represent over 90% 
of all exports from the Al Hassan Industrial Estate in Irbid, 
registering 44% growth in Q1 compared to Q1 of last year and 
topping $74.5 million for the quarter. 
 
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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues 
--------------------------- 
 
9. (C)  On April 12, 96 Iranians arrived at the Jordanian 
side of the Trebil border crossing, seeking temporary UNHCR 
protection until they can be returned to the countries in 
which they allegedly hold refugee status.  The GOJ is 
currently holding the group in no-man's land at the border 
but has already told UNHCR that some members of the group, 
including a purported US citizen (see para 2), would not be 
allowed to enter.  The GOJ reportedly believes that this 
group is part of the Mujahadin-e-Khalq (MEK), a US-designated 
foreign terrorist organization.  The Iranians told UNHCR that 
another 28-30 members of their "group" are expected to reach 
the Jordanian-Iraqi border later today, April 13.  UNHCR is 
digging more latrines and erecting more tents to accommodate 
this group but will not be able to accommodate more than 150 
persons at no-man's land. 
 
10.  (C) UNHCR is skeptical of the group's bona fides.  The 
first groups to arrive were all unmarried men in their early 
40s, followed by a group of single women also in their early 
40s.  They claim not to know each other but quickly organized 
themselves to tidy up the tents and assign sleeping quarters. 
 UNHCR reports that the group in general seems to be very 
uncomfortable dealing with UNHCR officials.  All 96 Iranians 
who arrived April 12 are carrying European or North American 
travel documents, many of which are UNHCR convention travel 
documents issued in the late 1980s or early 1990s and 
presumably expired.  Some are carrying what appear to be 
fraudulent French cartes de sejour.  The Iranians claim that 
they returned to Iraq just a few weeks ago for the Nowruz 
holiday but their travel documents indicate they have been 
out of their respective countries of asylum for much longer. 
UNHCR is compiling a list of the Iranians and their alleged 
travel documents and will approach each relevant embassy in 
Amman to verify their bona fides.  UNHCR also will demarche 
Jordanian authorities to allow these Iranian entry and most 
likely will raise this case (but not the possible MEK 
connection) at the UN's April 13 press briefing.  Jordanian 
authorities are unlikely to agree to this request. 
 
11.  (C) UNHCR also reports that a group of 200 former Syrian 
Ba'ath party and Syrian Muslim Brotherhood officials, all 
long-term residents of Iraq who were granted asylum by 
Saddam's regime, are headed to the Jordanian border at 
Trebil.  The group reportedly was denied entry by the Syrian 
government. 
 
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Press 
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12. (U) Situation in Iraq: Jordanian dailies varied in their 
coverage of the situation in Iraq.  While Al-Rai reported a 
drop in looting and that 1200 American policemen would arrive 
in Iraq soon, Al-Dustour highlighted the battles around one 
of the presidential palaces and the two "martyrdom" (suicide) 
attacks against U.S. forces.  Al-Rai called them "commando 
operations." 
 
13. (U) Looting: Jordanian dailies all held the U.S. 
responsible for the looting.  Al-Rai interviewed Iraqis in 
Jordan who said that the U.S. forces protected the oil wells 
and oil ministry, but not Iraqi citizens and property. 
 
14.(U) Editorial Commentary:  Bater Wardam in Al-Dustour says 
that the American "occupation army" is instigating and 
helping with the looting because they want to give 
"legitimacy" to their presence in Iraq, and to say that they 
are the only ones capable of bringing order to Iraq.  Wardam 
concludes his article by hoping that the Iraqis will wake up 
and will not allow the Americans to "steal" Iraq.  Urayb 
Rintawi in Al-Dustour defends the Iraqi people's actions 
after the fall of the Iraqi regime and strongly criticizes 
all those who blamed the Iraqi people for not fighting.  He 
says that an "oppressed, deprived and degraded people cannot 
make a fighting nation." 
 
GNEHM