US embassy cable - 03AMMAN3829

UNCLAS AMMAN 003829 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EFIN, IZ, JO, UNSC 
SUBJECT: GOJ INQUIRES RE STATUS OF OFF CONTRACTS 
 
1.  (u)  This is an action request; see para 4. 
 
2.  (u)  On June 24, Ambassador received a letter dated June 
18 from Minister of Industry and Trade Salah Eddin al Bashir 
inquiring about the status of pending OFF contracts and 
requesting USG assistance in resolving outstanding claims. 
Text of letter follows: 
 
3.  (u)  Begin Text: 
 
(complimentary opening) 
 
I would like to inform you that the Ministry has recently 
received a number of requests and claims from several 
Jordanian companies and enterprises calling on us to 
intervene in resolving an important issue that has recently 
surfaced pursuant to the latest developments in our region. 
 
As you are aware, a number of Jordanian companies have 
entered into several contracts pursuant to the Security 
Council's oil-for-food program with the aim of assisting the 
Iraqi people and providing them with much needed humanitarian 
aid. 
 
The implementation of the said contracts has been suspended 
for an undetermined period of time despite the fact that they 
would be of much assistance to the Iraqi people in this 
transitional phase of their lives. 
 
The contracts in question cover a number of vital sectors 
that directly serve and support the Iraqi people, however, 
the suspension of same would not only have a negative impact 
on the people of Iraq but would also have serious 
implications and drawbacks on a large spectrum of the 
Jordanian companies, which in some cases rely totally on 
trade with Iraq, taking into consideration that such 
companies have already committed themselves to burdensome 
financial obligations so as to fulfill the obligations set 
forth therein. 
 
Due to the above and with the hope that the foregoing 
uncertainties would be very soon clarified and resolved, I 
would really appreciate your Excellency's intervention in 
resolving this issue by contacting the competent authorities 
through whatever means you deem appropriate to resume the 
implementation of the terms and conditions of the contracts 
that have been entered into before the fall of the Iraqi 
regime. 
 
(complimentary closing) 
 
End Text. 
 
4.  (u)  Action request:  Post would appreciate Washington 
guidance regarding the status of outstanding OFF contracts 
and the mechanism for determining the disposition of these 
contracts. 
 
5.  (u)  Baghdad minimize considered. 
GNEHM