US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2400

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002400 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: JORDAN SEEKS U.S. ASSISTANCE TO RETURN 
SOME DIPLOMATIC STAFF TO BAGHDAD 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1.  (C)  During a meeting with the Ambassador and PolCouns 
April 20, Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher and Minister of 
State for Foreign Affairs Shaher Bak asked for USG assistance 
in helping the GOJ reopen its Embassy in Baghdad.  Muasher 
said that Jordan wished to return the Ambassador and some 
diplomatic staff.  He said the Embassy staff will be needed 
to provide administrative and logistical support to the 
Jordanian Army field hospital that will be set up this week. 
Muasher asked that Coalition forces provide safe passage into 
Baghdad for Jordanian diplomatic staff on Wednesday, April 
23.  MinState Bak said that Jordan was preparing to provide 
security for its Embassy compound (where the entire staff 
would reside in the short term).  He noted that Jordanian 
Embassy staff in Baghdad would also want to coordinate with 
Coalition forces on the ground regarding security conditions 
in Baghdad, particularly between the Embassy and the site of 
the field hospital.  Muasher mentioned that "the Kurds" are 
asking that Jordan send a second hospital to Mosul. 
 
2.  (C)  The Ambassador said that the U.S. would work with 
Jordan to facilitate the return of Jordanian diplomatic 
staff, but could not at the moment provide exact details on 
what the U.S. or other Coalition forces would be able to do. 
He noted that conditions within Baghdad are improving day by 
day, but said there remains some risk in sending personnel in 
to Baghdad. 
 
3.  (C)  Following the meeting, we coordinated with Task 
Force - West (TF-W) on options for assisting Jordanian 
diplomatic personnel to return to Baghdad.  The U.S. military 
over the weekend declared the Amman-Baghdad highway 
permissive from the Jordanian border to just west of 
ar-Ramadi.  We are exploring with the GOJ several options, 
such as including the diplomats in other large convoys, or 
flying them into Baghdad airport on a Royal Jordanian Air 
Force (RJAF) C-130 along with other Jordanian supplies and 
humanitarian donations. 
 
4.  (C)  COMMENT:  We believe that the presence of a 
Jordanian Embassy and a Jordanian Army field hospital in Iraq 
will provide both humanitarian and political benefits; we, 
therefore, want to help facilitate the return of diplomatic 
personnel to provide support.  We will continue to work with 
TF-W and the GOJ to arrange the return of Jordanian 
diplomats. 
GNEHM