INVITATIONAL TRAVEL

UNCLAS AMMAN 005498

SIPDIS

NEA EX FOR BILL HUDSON AND PMO BARBARA MCCARTHY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA AMGT JO
SUBJECT: INVITATIONAL TRAVEL


1. Post requests authority for FSN Environment Assistant Ms.
Rana Safadi to accept invitational round-trip travel (via
commercial carrier),lodging and per diem from the Quebec-
Labrador Foundation (QLF) to attend a two-week workshop in
the Boston, MA, area. QLF is a U.S.-based private, non-
profit conservation and education organization. Ms. Safadi
has been awarded a QLF Middle East Environmental Education
Fellowship, for which she will represent the NEA Regional
Environment Office and showcase our regional Arab/Israeli
cooperative activities. The proposed period of travel is
on/about October 8-24, 2003, from Amman to Boston and
return.


2. Post recommends approval of the invitation travel request
for the following reasons:

--training and capacity building of post's FSN charged with
assisting the NEA Regional Environment Office is in the
interest of the USG by helping promote the activities the
State Department has identified as policy objectives;
--the travel will take place in the context of Ms. Safadi's
official responsibilities and only for the time period
necessary to fulfill those responsibilities;
--acceptance of the invitational travel is reasonable and
proper in the context of both official responsibilities and
current political circumstances;
--no reasonable person would conclude that acceptance of the
invitational travel would improperly influence Ms. Safadi in
the performance of her official duties.

HALE