Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN2259
2003-04-14 16:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 36 (4/14 1700 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 002259 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2013
TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 36 (4/14 1700 LOCAL)

REF: (A) FBIS GMP20030413000213 (B) FBIS
GMP20030413000152

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 002259

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2013
TAGS: AEMR AMGT PREL ASEC CASC CVIS EFIN ETRD IZ JO
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: AMMAN SITREP 36 (4/14 1700 LOCAL)

REF: (A) FBIS GMP20030413000213 (B) FBIS
GMP20030413000152

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

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


1. (C) Amman and the rest of Jordan is calm. No reports of
any demonstrations anywhere in the Kingdom April 14. Embassy
operated on a normal business schedule today. Movements of
American personnel remain restricted. Activities at the
American Language Center and Peace Corps offices remain
suspended.

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


2. (U) See para 9 below.

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


3. (U) In an April 13 meeting with visiting UN Humanitarian
Coordinator for Iraq Ramiro Lopes de Silva, King Abdullah
affirmed the importance of the UN role in Iraq, particularly
its delivery of assistance and basic social services to the
Iraqi people. The King indicated that Jordan is prepared to
coordinate with the UN in helping Iraq with necessary relief
supplies, and reportedly said that two Jordan army field
hospitals will soon be sent to Iraq. (Jordan Times 4/14)


4. (U) Minister of Information Muhammad al-Adwan in an April
13 statement to the Jordanian Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
"emphasized that the government will deal with the new
administration in the interim period in Iraq in a manner that
benefits the Iraqi people." The paper said that Al-Adwan
also stated that "the Central Bank (of Jordan) has frozen the
official Iraqi assets in licensed banks in Jordan and that
these assets would remain frozen until the situation becomes
clearer and a new Iraqi government is formed." (ref A)


5. (U) In an April 13 statement to the official Petra News
Agency, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad
Batayneh announced that a ship carrying 100,000 tons of Saudi
oil recently arrived in Aqaba. (ref B)


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


6. (U) No new issues.

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


7. (U) Nasri Nowar, Director of Queen Alia International
Airport, confirmed that KLM and British Airways had resumed
service to Amman this week. He said they would offer limited
service the next two weeks, but said that most European
carriers intended to resume normal service by the end of the
month. Nowar added that current passenger loads were down
40% from this period last year.


8. (U) Traffic flow at the Sheikh Hussein bridge in northern
Jordan appears to be returning to normal. Authorities at the
bridge report volumes at about one-half of normal levels for
the past two days, an improvement from the previous week.

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


9. (SBU) 108 people are being held in no-man's land at the
Jordanian-Iraqi border, 96 of whom are the Iranians that
arrived on April 12. Representatives from the German embassy
are meeting with purported German document holders today;
conoff will meet with purported US document holders on April

15. GOJ officials confirmed that the person who claimed to
be an Amcit did not possess a US passport; UNHCR separately
reported that the individual returned to Baghdad this
morning. The additional 28-30 Iranians have not yet arrived
at the border.


10. (SBU) UNHCR confirmed that nine Iraqis currently are
being held at no-man's land. Some of them are laborers who
were deported on April 7 from Aqaba and subsequently returned
to the Jordanian border; others are ethnic Iraqis without any
travel documentation.


11. (SBU) The 200 Syrian Ba'athists and Muslim Brotherhood
supporters, rumored yesterday to be en route to the Trebil
border crossing, have not yet materialized. UNHCR reports
that one Syrian family, carrying Iraqi passports, arrived at
the Jordanian border yesterday but were denied entry by GOJ
officials. The family was sent back into Iraq.


12. (C) UNHCR is extremely concerned about the burgeoning
population in no-man's land. Although UNHCR Rep Sten Bronee
had told the press that conditions in no-man's land are
"squalid," UNHCR's senior logistics officer reports that the
space & facilities available can accommodate the current
population but would be taxed if the population reaches 200.
More importantly, UNHCR is beginning to see this as a serious
protection issue and a violation of the GOJ's agreements with
UNHCR. UNHCR believes that, at a minimum, the Iranians
should be admitted to the TCN transit camp and Iraqis without
documentation who seek UNHCR protection should be allowed
into the UNHCR refugee camp. Given GOJ views that the
Iranians are MEK members, we doubt that the GOJ will allow
any Iranians to leave the border unless they have proven
claims to residency in another country -- and are escorted by
their respective embassies to the airport. Refcoord will
accompany conoff on the April 15 border visit and will
provide a full report on conditions.

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


13. (U) In the late afternoon of April 14, a number of
journalists contacted Embassy Press office reporting that a
convoy of journalists on the Amman-Baghdad highway may have
been attacked or ambushed between Ramadi and Baghdad. The
journalists reported seeing one car apparently which had
rolled over after apparently being shot at. Reports indicate
that one or possibly two journalists -- both of Argentinean
nationality -- may have been killed. No further
identification was provided. We will follow up as additional
details become available.
GNEHM