JORDAN: BILATERAL AGREEMENTS ON THE INTERNATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003888

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2012
TAGS: PREL LICC
SUBJECT: JORDAN: BILATERAL AGREEMENTS ON THE INTERNATIONAL
CRIMINAL COURT

REF: STATE 135262

Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM; REASONS: 1.5 (B) (D)


1. (C) The Ambassador raised the proposed bilateral
agreement on the ICC (reftel) with Prime Minister Abul Ragheb
on July 15. The Prime Minister said that Jordan agrees with
the U.S. approach at the policy level, but will have to
examine the legal issues involved, such as the legal
precedence of international as opposed to bilateral
agreements. In principle, he said, Jordan is supportive of
the U.S. position and shares some of the U.S. concerns about
the ICC and peacekeeping operations. (Note: King Abdullah
took the same position previously in a conversation with a
visiting senior American official.)


2. (U) Also on July 15, the DCM met with Ali al-Ayed,
personal aide to the Foreign Minister, and delivered the
talking points in reftel. He reminded Ayed that Jordanians
at the highest levels had accepted the American approach in
principle, and he provided a copy of the draft agreement as a
non-paper. Ayed said he would pass the draft to the MFA's
lawyers for a quick review and get back to us with a
substantive response.
Gnehm