TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 23 (4/01 2000 LOCAL)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001953 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2013 TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN EAIR IZ JO SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 23 (4/01 2000 LOCAL) REF: A. CMS TF2-AMMAN CLU E-MAIL OF 4/1/03 1814L ¶B. STATE 79984 ¶C. STATE 79964 Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (B)(D). -------------- General Overview -------------- ¶1. (C) The Embassy operated on a normal schedule April 1. Consular services were open. Activities at the American Language Center remained suspended, and there was only restricted activity by FSN's at the Peace Corps office. Movements of American staff remained restricted. -------------- Consular Issues -------------- ¶2. (U) No new issues. -------------- GOJ Actions/Statements -------------- ¶3. (U) No new issues. -------------- Security -------------- ¶4. (U) PSD reported that planned demonstrations took place April 1 at Yarmouk University, Zarqa University, and the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST),all in Irbid, and in the Baq'aa refugee camp. All demonstrations were small and peaceful, according to PSD. -------------- Economic and Trade Developments -------------- ¶5. (sbu) The Amman Stock Exchange closed down .77% Tuesday. Trading at levels heavier than last week continued, as a number of Jordanian companies announced 2002 results ahead of annual meetings. ¶6. (sbu) Queen Alia International Airport officials said Iberian Air has resumed its Madrid-Amman service. Out of European airlines which offered connections to Europe from Amman, only KLM and British Airways have yet to resume service to Jordan. ¶7. (c) A Transportation Security Administration inspector reviewed airport and airline security procedures for Royal Jordanian Airlines' direct service to New York. In the course of the review, RJ officials notified the inspector that the airline would resume direct service to Chicago June ¶1. -------------- Refugee/Humanitarian Issues -------------- ¶8. (C) No new issues. -------------- Press -------------- ¶9. (C) Iraq's Information Minister reported April 1 that coalition forces bombed a bus full of "human shield" peace activists traveling from Baghdad to Amman. Neither Embassy nor TF-West has been able to substantiate this claim. Voices in the Wilderness Amman representative Michael Birmingham telephoned the CLU after seeing the reports on the internet, but said he was unaware of any plans by his organization to travel at that time, aside from the 13 activists who arrived safely in Amman the evening of April 1 (ref a). ¶10. (C) Local press have begun to take notice of an April 1 AFP report that Jordan had arrested several Iraqis in connection with attempted terror attacks against a hotel and a U.S. military water supply (refs b and c). We expect extensive coverage in local press on April 2. GNEHM