JORDAN LIKELY TO ABSTAIN OR BE ABSENT ON WHA VOTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002298 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2003 TAGS: PREL TW JO WHO SUBJECT: JORDAN LIKELY TO ABSTAIN OR BE ABSENT ON WHA VOTE ON TAIWAN OBSERVER STATUS REF: SECSTATE 87649 Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B)(D) ¶1. (C) PolCouns spoke May 9 with Dr. Khaled al-Tahaineh, Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry's International Organizations Department regarding Taiwan's bid to gain observer status in the WHO. Tahaineh confirmed ref information that Jordan is likely to either abstain on or be absent from any WHA vote to grant Taiwan observer status in the WHO. Tahaineh said, however, that he was unaware of any formal Jordanian promise to Taiwan to abstain. ¶2. (C) We note that a Mr. Shen from the Taiwanese commercial office in Amman called us May 9 and asked for U.S. intervention to secure Jordan's support for Taiwan's WHO bid. We responded that we would refer the question to Washington. BERRY