(NIAG 2057) JAPANESE EMBASSY ASKS FOR MORE

S E C R E T AMMAN 004682

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2012
TAGS: KNNP PARM PREL GM JA IZ JO
SUBJECT: (NIAG 2057) JAPANESE EMBASSY ASKS FOR MORE
INFORMATION ON IRAQI FRONT COMPANY AL-EMAN INVESTMENT GROUP

REF: A. STATE 154314

B. TOKYO 5577

Classified By: CDA Gregory L. Berry for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (S/NF) Japanese Embassy Counselor (and Japanese Charge
in Iraq) Masashi Kono called on PolCouns August 18.
Referring to Embassy Tokyo's demarche (ref b) on Iraq's
possible purchase of thermal luminescence dosimetry equipment
from Japan through the Jordanian company al-Eman Investment
Group (ref a),Kono said he had been instructed to learn all
that he could about al-Eman "from third party sources,
including the American Embassy." He passed to PolCouns
copies of web pages (one from Ohio State University dated
1996 and one in French from a French magazine) referring
obliquely to al-Eman and its connection to Iraq. He also
noted that German intelligence had told the Japanese
government that a similarly named "al-Eman Commercial
Investment Establishment" was on Germany's list of likely
Iraqi front companies.


2. (S/NF) Translating from an instruction cable in
Japanese, Kono asked that the Embassy provide any additional
information available on al-Eman, including its address and
physical location in Jordan, information on its other
business activities, the other companies with which it works,
and more specific evidence of its links with Iraq -- e.g.
previous trades on behalf of Iraq or numbers of Iraqi
employees. Kono said Tokyo decisionmakers needed this
information to support taking action to prevent any shipment
of technology through al-Eman to Iraq.


3. (S) COMMENT: The Japanese Government is obviously
taking our demarche seriously. Post would appreciate
receiving any additional information that addresses the
Japanese request.
Berry