KING POSITIVE ON ARTICLE 98, BUT BUREAUCRACY DRAGS

S E C R E T AMMAN 006270

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA, NEA/ARN, PM, L

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2012
TAGS: PREL KPAL IS IZ JO MEPP
SUBJECT: KING POSITIVE ON ARTICLE 98, BUT BUREAUCRACY DRAGS
ITS HEELS

Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (U) This is an action request for the Department.
Please see para 6 below.


2. (S) In a conversation with A/S Burns on October 19, King
Abdullah said again that he thought Jordan should be able to
sign an Article 9 agreement.


3. (C) However, in a separate conversation October 20 with
Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher, Muasher indicated to Burns a
reluctance to "give up something others are not giving up.
We want to preserve our credibility in the international
community" as the chair of the ICC member states' group. He
asked for information on other states that have signed
Article 98 agreements with the U.S., and whether they are
signatories or members of the ICC. (Note: Embassy passed
that information to the MFA's Secretary General and Legal
Advisor October 21).


4. (C) Jordan's UN PermRep, Prince Zaid bin Raad, called
Amb. Gnehm from New York October 23. He said that FonMin
Muasher had told him the GOJ wants to finalize an Article 98
agreement quickly. However, the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF)
had not yet responded to two MFA requests for copies of the
notes which govern the status of DoD civilian and military
personnel in Jordan. In addition, he continued, Jordan is
not yet sure that signing an Article 98 agreement with the
U.S. is consistent either with Jordan's obligations under the
ICC, or Jordanian laws and constitution.


5. (C) PolCouns and PolOff called on MFA Legal Advisor
Samer Naber October 24. Naber confirmed that he has been
unable to retrieve from the GOJ's own files a copy of the
exchange of notes that governs status of U.S. forces in
Jordan. He also said he is awaiting the arrival of a book by
an Italian judge about the negotiations surrounding Article
98, so that Jordan can be completely sure that it can ascribe
legally to the U.S. interpretation of Article 98 (Naber
described the text of Article 98 as "purposefully vague").
Finally, he said, all GOJ decisions on ICC matters are going
through Prince Zaid, due to his position as head of the
states parties group, to make sure that he is not
"politically exposed." PolCouns argued that the intent of
Article 98 is quite clear, that the U.S. is not asking Jordan
to do anything that is outside the treaty, and that six full
ICC members and three ICC signatories have already signed
Article 98 agreements with the U.S.


6. (C) Action request for the department: Post is unable
to locate in its files copies of the notes governing the
status of DoD civilian and military personnel in Jordan (U.S.
note 251 of 04 April 1996 and Jordan note MK/3/21/366 of 10
April 1996). Post would appreciate it if L or PM could
locate these documents and fax them to PolCouns Doug Silliman
at 962-6-592-0159. Quick receipt of these documents could
speed the completion of Jordan's legal analysis of Article 98.

GNEHM