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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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