GOJ MAY REQUIRE PRE-APPROVAL FOR ENTRY OF IRAQIS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006064

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/16/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ JO
SUBJECT: GOJ MAY REQUIRE PRE-APPROVAL FOR ENTRY OF IRAQIS
INTO JORDAN

Classified By: DCM David M. Hale for reasons 1.5 (b)(d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (S/NF) The visiting Jordanian Charge in Baghdad told
PolCouns that, because of security agencies' concerns about
export of terrorism from Iraq to Jordan, the GOJ is
considering declaring Iraqis a "restricted" nationality.
Iraqi travelers to Jordan would require pre-approval from
security agencies in Amman. Jordan's Charge said that the
MFA fears a political backlash among Iraqis if this step is
carried out and has proposed a five-tier visa system that
it hopes will have less sting. He emphasized that the GOJ
has not/not yet made a final decision to implement new
restrictions on Iraqis. END SUMMARY.

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GOJ SECURITY AGENCIES WORRIED ABOUT IRAQIS
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2. (S/NF) In a September 15 conversation with PolCouns in
which he very likely exceeded his brief, the Jordanian
Charge in Baghdad, Dimai Haddad (please strictly protect)
said that Jordanian security agencies are very worried that
the Sunni extremists currently in Iraq will try to come to
Jordan to cause trouble as Iraqi authorities gain greater
control. Consequently, he continued, the Interior
Ministry and the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) had
proposed classifying Iraq as a "restricted" country.
Designation as a "restricted" nationality would mean that
all Iraqis who wanted to travel to Jordan would have to be
pre-approved by GOJ security agencies in Amman.


3. (S/NF) Haddad said that he and the MFA had opposed for
several reasons this measure in an interagency meeting held
September 15. First, significant restrictions on travel of
Iraqis to Jordan could reduce commercial opportunities
available to Jordanians, both in Iraq and in Jordan.
Second, Iraqis -- many of whom, he commented, believe that
Jordan was "in bed with Saddam Hussein" -- might
misinterpret such a move to mean that "Iraqis could travel
to Jordan freely only as long as Iraq gave Jordan free
oil." This impression could do significant harm to
Jordan's interests in Iraq, and Jordan's ability to
influence events there. Third, he argued, the
recently-bombed Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad and the
recently fired-on Jordanian field hospital at Falluja were
currently in no position to process visa applications. The
interagency meeting ended without making any changes to
current GOJ entry policy on Iraqis.

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IRAQIS MAY REQUIRE PRE-APPROVAL
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4. (S/NF) In lieu of declaring Iraqis a "restricted"
nationality, Haddad said the MFA had proposed a compromise
"five-tier" visa system to categorize Iraqis as follows:
official travelers, traders, medical and humanitarian
cases, students, and "all others." The requirements for
each category would be somewhat different, but all would
require pre-approval from Jordanian security agencies in
Amman. Haddad admitted that the main reason to categorize
Iraqi travelers into five groups was to lessen the
potential political sting of declaring all Iraqis suspect.
He said the MFA had also suggested that flights to and from
Iraq land at Queen Alia International Airport (instead of
the currently used Marka International Airport),to
facilitate travel of Iraqis through Jordan to other
destinations without the need for visas (passengers could
sit in the transit lounge and wait for their onward flight
instead of having to enter the country and transfer between
airports).

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GOJ HAVING HARD TIME WITH CPA-RENEWED PASSPORTS
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5. (C) Haddad said that currently, Jordanian border
officials have been instructed to accept only valid Iraqi
passports for travel into and out of Jordan. Iraqis
carrying expired (and CPA-extended) passports are permitted
to go to Iraq, but not to enter Jordan. Haddad said that,
despite the authority given to the CPA in UNSCR 1483, it
would be very difficult for the GOJ to recognize either CPA
extension of expired Iraq passports (if the seal extending
the validity was a CPA seal),or the issuance of new travel
documents or passports by the CPA. He speculated that
Jordanian security agencies might be willing to accept new
diplomatic and service passports issued to Iraqi interim
government employees for official travel. Any Iraqi (or
any other nationality citizen) traveling on anything less
than a full-validity passport (e.g. transportation letter,
laissez passer) automatically requires pre-approval before
admittance.

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COMMENT
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6. (S) Others in the MFA have confided to us that the GID
is very concerned with the unclear instructions currently
issued to border control personnel regarding Iraqis, and is
pressing for much clearer and more restrictive guidelines.
Although some other agencies seem to be pushing back, it is
likely that some kind of new controls will be imposed on
Iraqi travelers. Any new controls will make advance
coordination with the GOJ crucial for official and
humanitarian Iraqi travelers of interest to the USG.


7. (U) CPA Baghdad minimize considered.
GNEHM