Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN2030
2003-04-03 15:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 26 (4/03 2000 LOCAL)

Tags:  AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002030 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2013
TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 26 (4/03 2000 LOCAL)


Classified By: PolCouns Douglas Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B)(D).

----------------
General Overview
----------------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002030

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2013
TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 26 (4/03 2000 LOCAL)


Classified By: PolCouns Douglas Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B)(D).

--------------
General Overview
--------------


1. (SBU) The Embassy will be closed on April 4 and 5, for the
Jordanian weekend. It will open for regular business on
Sunday, April 7. The movement of American staff remains
restricted.

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Consular Issues
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2. (U) No new issues.

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GOJ Actions/Statements
--------------


3. (C) No new issues except as reported under Press heading.


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Security
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4. (U) No new issues.

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Economic and Trade Developments
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5. (sbu) The Sheikh Hussein Bridge in northern Jordan is
open, but Jordanian exporters report that drastic work
slowdowns by Israeli customs officials have significantly
reduced traffic across the bridge. According to Jordanian
bridge authorities, a total of 19 trucks crossed Sheikh
Hussein April 2 in both directions, versus a normal volume of
approximately 120 per day. Jordan hopes to clear 45 both
ways on April 3, but notes their success will depend largely
on srike activity by Israeli customs. We are coordinating
with Embassy Tel Aviv to get a better idea of how long this
situation, an unwelcome blow to QIZ confidence even if
unrelated to the Iraq conflict, will persist.

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Refugee/Humanitarian Issues
--------------


6. (C) The Jordan-Iraq border remains open. IOM reports that
6 additional TCNs arrived late on April 2 and another 15
arrived today, April 3. Today's arrivals included a group of
11 Egyptians who will be repatriated this evening. Four
Palestinians (with Iraqi travel documents) also were admitted
to the transit camp at Ruweished but another 8 Palestinians
currently are being held in no man's land at the border.
Still no sign of Iraqi refugees or aslyum seekers.


7. (C) UNHCR reports that a "handful" of Iraqi citizens --
primarily businessmen -- cross into Jordan every day. These
Iraqis have not requested asylum or UNHCR assistance.

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Press
--------------


8. (U) Following the Ambassador's meeting with the Prime
Minister today (which the local press characterized as a
"summons"),Ambassador Gnehm delivered remarks to the
Jordanian press regarding the meeting. He said that the PM
had conveyed to him the strong views of the GOJ regarding the
effect of the continued fighting on the civilian population
of Iraq, and that he pledged to the PM that he would convey
those views to Washington. He added that the U.S. Government
was similarly concerned about the fate of the civilians in
Iraq and that the coalition was doing everything possible to
minimize the effect of the fighting on civilians. In
response to a question about the possibility of a diplomatic
solution to the conflict, the Ambassador said that a number
of solutions had been sought to this question over the past
12 years, and that given the failure of all previous efforts,
the coaltion was forced to resort to military force. Action
was ongoing and the U.S. will pursue our objectives to disarm
the regime and remove the brutal dictatorship of Saddam
Hussein and his henchmen. The Ambassador noted that
U.S.-Jordan relations remain strong on a variety of levels,
despite occasional disagreements on specific issues, and that
the U.S. and Jordanian governments shared a common goal that
the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people must be met.

GNEHM