Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN2044
2003-04-05 09:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 28 (4/05 1000 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 002044 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2013
TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 28 (4/05 1000 LOCAL)

REF: AMMAN 2033

Classified By: DCM Gregory L. Berry 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 002044

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2013
TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 28 (4/05 1000 LOCAL)

REF: AMMAN 2033

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

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


1. (SBU) The Embassy is closed April 5 for the Jordanian
weekend. It will reopen for regular business on Sunday,
April 6. The movement of American staff remains restricted.

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Consular Issues
--------------


2. (U) Nothing new to report.

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GOJ Actions/Statements
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3. (C) Nothing new to report.

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Security
--------------


4. (C) Demonstrations were held in Amman April 4. Between
5,000 - 7,000 participants marched from a downtown mosque to
a GOJ municipal building in a licensed demonstration. PSD
and embassy contacts report the march was spirited and full
of anti-USG and "pro-Saddam" slogans, but was peaceful. In
the Shmeisani area, a few hundred people marched in a
licensed march from the professional associations complex to
the UN headquarters.

--------------
Economic and Trade Developments
--------------


5. (U) Nothing new to report.

--------------
Refugee/Humanitarian Issues
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6. (SBU) The Jordan-Iraq border remains open. REFCOORD
visited Ruwayshid April 5 and reported 246 third country
nationals currently at the UNHCR camp. 8 TCNs crossed into
Jordan during the night of April 3-4 9 TCNs crossed during
the night of April 4-5. As of April 5, three Palestinian
families attempting to transit into Jordan were waiting at
the border as their documents are sorted out.


7. (SBU) UNHCR reports GOJ authorities continue to allow
Iraqis with onward airline tickets, valid visas and
"sufficient funds" to transit Jordan en route to other
countries. Reportedly, a "handful" of Iraqis enter Jordan
daily under these circumstances. In one case where an Iraqi
family wanted to stay in Jordan prior to transiting out, GOJ
authorities were reportedly willing to permit their entry so
long as they registered with UNHCR as asylum seekers and
stayed in the refugee camp. In this case, the family
reportedly refused to register as refugees and were returned
to Iraq. UNHCR says they are tracking such cases "very
closely."


8. (SBU) The Embassy received a phone call during the evening
of April 4 from Kate Rowland of the Italy-based humanitarian
group "Emergency." Rowland said that a group consisting of
five persons (including a surgeon, nurse, and
anesthesiologist) planned to travel from Amman to Baghdad
either Sunday April 6 or Monday April 7 in a convoy of two
large trucks and two trailers carrying medical supplies.
Rowland said the trucks and trailers will bear the
"Emergency" logo. Embassy Crisis Liaison Unit conveyed this
information to Task Force West personnel in the Embassy and
to the PRM duty officer at TF1 in Washington. Kate Rowland's
contact information in Amman is as follows: Sheraton Hotel
(962-6-593-4111),room 419, or international cell number

00393358189598. Rowland said she would pass on additional
information on the convoy's travel plans when they become
available. Based on the information provided, it appears
there are no AMCITS traveling in this group.

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


9. (C) The convoy of three to four GMC suburban-type vehicles
carrying journalists from various western news organizations
that set out from Amman for Baghdad the morning of April 4
reportedly arrived in Baghdad late night April 4 (reftel A).
There are no AMCITS in the group. The US military public
affairs officer detailed to Jordan is aware of the situation.


10. (C) Rounding out the government's three-day effort to
align its public stance more closely with the feelings of an
angry nation, Jordan's state-owned and influenced media April
4 played up the PM's convoking of the Ambassador as evidence
that the GOJ is taking tangible and meaningful steps to
translate into action the people's
opposition to the war (reftel B). Local reporting on the
event also highlighted the Ambassador's remarks to the press
expressing a common concern for the welfare of Iraqi
civilians and a commitment to maintain that concern even as
we pursue the objective of removing the Baathist regime.
GNEHM