SUPPORT FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION IN JORDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 008469 SIPDIS USDOC FOR 3133/USFCS/OIO/RD/BORR USDOC FOR 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/NWEIGLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON IZ JO SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION IN JORDAN REF: A. AMMAN 8237 ¶B. AMMAN 8071 ¶C. AMMAN 8299 ¶D. AMMAN 8162 ¶E. AMMAN 8205 Classified By: AMB Edward Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b) (d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) This is one in a series of cables highlighting the support that the Government of Jordan and the US mission in Amman are providing to Iraq and CPA reconstruction efforts. Highlights in this installment include the "Outreach 2004" Iraq Reconstruction Trade Show; training of Iraqi police forces and trade officials; possible Jordanian support for Iraqi capital markets; cooperation between Jordanian and Iraqi Cancer hospitals; Japanese aid to Iraq; commercial air travel between Iraq and Jordan; an update on the issue of frozen Iraqi assets; and other related topics. End summary. Iraq Reconstruction Trade Show -------------- ¶2. (SBU) "Outreach 2004," the first American-organized trade show focused on rebuilding Iraq, will debut in Amman from January 10 to January 13. Over 250 companies from around the world will exhibit their products at the Amman International Motorshow site. The event will also include seminars at the Hyatt hotel, including a presentation by Admiral Nash, head of the CPA Office of Program Management, which is responsible for administering $18.6 billion in U.S. appropriated funds for Iraq reconstruction. Over 100 Iraqi companies are expected to attend with support from the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Kirkuk Business Center. Kallman Worldwide is the organizer of the show, but has received extensive support from the Foreign Commercial Service office in Amman. Assistant Secretary William Lash from the U.S. Department of Commerce as well as representatives from EXIM, OPIC, TDA, and State will participate in the event. Iraqi Police Training -------------- ¶3. (C) Embassy officers on December 15 checked on the progress of training for Iraqi police at a site in Jordan, just outside Amman (Ref B). Jordanian and international police trainers are cooperating in this effort. The first group of five hundred trainees arrived at the end of November for an eight-week course. Another group of five hundred trainees was meant to arrive at the end of December, but will now arrive two weeks later in mid-January because their living quarters are not ready. The training site did not exist several months ago and construction continues with the first group living in temporary quarters. The international trainers, many of whom trained police in Bosnia, say they are confident the site will be ready to receive the second group of trainees by their now-scheduled arrival date. Government of Jordan to Host Iraqi Trade Officials -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) The Jordanian Ministry of Industry and Trade will co-sponsor from January 6-8 a training conference for Iraqi trade officials on a system of registration for Iraqi companies. Five members of the Iraqi Trade Ministry and eleven members of the Iraqi Business Council are expected to attend the event, which is being hosted by the U.S. and British Embassies and the Jordanian-American Business Association. CPA Studies Jordan's Capital Market -------------- ¶5. (U) A team from CPA visited Jordan in November to explore the possibility of using Jordan's Capital Market institutions to support the re-establishment of the Baghdad market. Given the sophistication of Jordan's Securities Depository Center (a USAID/Jordan project),Jordan could be utilized as the depository for the Baghdad Market's trade. The legal and regulatory work accomplished by Jordan over the last three years, with substantial USAID assistance, could be used as the basis for the establishment of Iraq's capital market. Cooperation Between Cancer Hospitals -------------- ¶6. (C) King Hussein Cancer Center, a private Amman hospital directed by NIH employee Samir Khleif, hosted a delegation of 19 Iraqi cancer specialists for a follow-up meeting to a brainstorming session held at the hospital in June. The meeting focused on prioritization of the needs of Iraqi cancer wards and identified ways in which KHCC could assist. KHCC plans to train groups of Iraqi cancer ward nurses as soon as the Iraqi Ministry of Health is able to identify and make arrangements for prospective candidates. KHCC will also be a primary treatment center for medically evacuated Iraqis. Japanese Aid to Iraq -------------- ¶7. (U) The Japanese Consulting firm Nippon Koei has sent representatives to Amman on several occasions to consult with USAID on how the Japanese Government should design and implement programs for the $1.5 billion in official Japanese aid to Iraq. Koei reports that it has won a tender for a significant portion of the Japanese assistance money, though we have not confirmed this through official sources. Koei is primarily interested in the capacity of Jordanian NGOs to administer Japanese assistance for humanitarian activities. USAID/Jordan has facilitated contacts between Koei and USAID/Iraq, mostly by telephone since Japanese personnel are currently prohibited from traveling to Iraq. Royal Wings Charter flight -------------- ¶8. (C) CPA advisors to the Ministry of Transport spent substantial time in Amman over the past two weeks negotiating with Royal Jordanian and other parties to resume air service between Jordan and Iraq (Ref C). If reinitiated, a commercial charter would represent a substantial improvement over the level of air service currently available. (Current air options for travel between Jordan and Iraq, which include U.S. Milair flights and USAID humanitarian charters, do not follow a regular schedule and/or are more restricted in the classes of passengers that they will accept.) Embassy has also provided logistical support to CPA negotiators during this period. The Jordanian government is evaluating the risk of resuming flights. Frozen Iraqi Assets Update -------------- ¶9. (C) Rafidain Bank adviser Haydar Al-Uzri and ECON/C met with Jordanian Finance Minister Mohammed Abu Hammour to discuss the transfer of frozen Iraqi assets in Jordan to the DFI (Ref D). Ambassador followed up this conversation with several top Jordanian officials (Ref E),and post is now preparing for the arrival of a working-level Iraqi team to review claims by Jordanian businesses on the frozen Iraqi assets. UNAMI Headquarters in Amman -------------- ¶10. (U) The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq has established its headquarters in Amman pending the return of the organization to Iraq. UNAMI will host monthly meetings of donor countries, UN agencies and NGOs, the first of which took place on December 9. Officers from USAID and PRM represented Embassy Amman. Topics of discussion included security issues (UNSECOORD),sectoral development issues, Security Council and General Assembly priorities, and implementation of reconstruction strategies by the international communities. IMF Meeting -------------- ¶11. (U) An Iraqi/CPA delegation met with IMF officials in Amman the week of December 8 to discuss prerequisites for Iraq initiating an IMF program and to more generally give top Iraqi officials exposure to the IMF and its standard procedures. The Iraqi government officials and CPA advisors in the 57-member delegation were associated with the Iraqi Central Bank and the ministries of Finance, Industry and Minerals, and Trade. Agriculture Conference -------------- ¶12. (U) The American Soybean Association sponsored a conference in Amman the week of December 8 for Iraqi employees of the Ministry of Agriculture, providing information on procedures and U.S. aid available for the purchase of American grains. Iraq Coordination with other Embassies -------------- ¶13. (U) Embassy Amman on December 17 hosted a luncheon for diplomats from other Embassies in Jordan to provide information on recent developments in CPA organizational structure. ISU representative Major Andrea Begel discussed her visit to CPA Baghdad and provided a CPA organizational chart along with contact information for CPA ministries. A political officer from the Swedish Embassy repeated an earlier inquiry about the detention of a Swedish-Iraqi citizen (see following section). Swedish Detainee in Iraq -------------- ¶14. (C) The Swedish Ambassador approached Ambassador Gnehm on December 17 to inquire about the detention of a Swedish/Iraqi citizen in Iraq. The Swedes have been making inquiries on this subject since early November. CENTCOM confirmed the detention of the Swedish citizen and Embassy Amman passed this information to the Swedish Embassy. If Department sends a formal communication, we suggest it be conveyed in Stockholm or Washington. Visa Applications Increase at Embassy Amman -------------- ¶15. (SBU) Visa applications at Embassy Amman have increased since the capture of Saddam. Local staff reported that this is likely due to a rumor, currently circulating Amman, that the Embassy is celebrating the capture of Saddam Hussein by issuing more visas. The number of Iraqis traveling to the U.S. on CPA-funded travel has also increased and CPA has been helpful in giving advance notice. The first 26 Iraqi Fulbright Scholars are in process and should arrive in Amman January 11. With the recent installation of NIV fingerprint capture software and hardware, as required of all posts, the Embassy has begun fingerprinting visa applicants as required by law. Logistical Support Provided by Embassy Amman -------------- ¶16. (U) The Iraq Support Unit (ISU) at Embassy Amman provided logistical support to over 100 CPA and Iraqi Ministry travelers during the month of December. In many cases Embassy Amman facilitated visas for Iraqi travelers continuing on to other locations, including conferences in Europe. Embassy Amman also provided support to the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra on its way to the Kennedy Center in Washington. During this same period 5 CODELS passed through Amman on their way to and from Iraq and for meetings with Jordanian officials. GNEHM