JORDAN: TRANSFER OF IRAQI ASSETS TO DFI

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007294 SIPDIS CPA FOR GEORGE WOLFE NSC FOR GARY EDSON AND ELLIOTT ABRAMS TREASURY FOR U/S TAYLOR TREASURY FOR GENERAL COUNSEL AND IRAQ TASK FORCE TREASURY OASIA FOR MILLS, DEMOPULOS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/06/2008 TAGS: EFIN ETTC PTER JO IZ SUBJECT: JORDAN: TRANSFER OF IRAQI ASSETS TO DFI REF: A. GNEHM/DANIN AND GNEHM/SECHE TELCONS 11/5/03 ¶B. AMMAN 7178 Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm. Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). Please see Para 3 Action Request. ¶1. (C) Reconfirming information passed informally to the White House and State Department on the evening of November 5 (ref a),Deputy Prime Minister Halaiqa told the Ambassador November 6 that Jordan would make an imminent transfer of frozen Iraqi assets to the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI). Halaiqa said the amount would be between $20 million and $25 million. ¶2. (C) In a separate conversation with ECON/C, Finance Minister Abu Hammour also confirmed this decision by the government, stating that the amount to be transferred would be $25 million. He asked that we provide an account number and other technical information required to complete the transfer. Abu Hammour said that other members of the government's economic team had been reluctant to transfer these funds, but that he had personally urged Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez to approve a transfer in view of "everything the United States is doing for Jordan." ¶3. (SBU) Action Request. Please confirm DFI account and other relevant information to embassy by cable or email (GoldbergerTH@state.gov). GNEHM