SECURITY EVALUATIONS OF REFUGEE PROCESSING SITE AT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002129

SIPDIS

CAIRO FOR REFCORD, DEPT FOR PRM/A, DHS FOR BCIS, ROME FOR
DHS DISTRICT DIRECTOR, ATHENS FOR DHS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF ASEC AMGT JO
SUBJECT: SECURITY EVALUATIONS OF REFUGEE PROCESSING SITE AT
UNHCR COMPOUND - RUWEISHED.

REF: A. CAIRO 03592


B. SECSTATE 202708

C. AMMAN 5629

D. SECSTATE 280847

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS KEYED TO QUESTIONS IN REFTEL.

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


A. INTERVIEW SITE:

The Regional Security Office, Amman, Jordan, conducted a
security survey of the UNHCR compound in Ruweished on 08
March 2004 and prepared the following report.


1. The UNHCR compound is located in the town of Ruweished,
population approximately 9,000 people. Ruweished is 80
kilometers East from the Iraqi border and approximately 285
kilometers from Amman. The Ruweished compound is 20
kilometers from refugee camp Alpha. The nearest town to
Ruweished is Al Safawi. The distance is approximately 50
kilometers west. The nearest military airbase is 40
kilometers west.


2. The UNHCR compound is approximately 40 acres surrounded by
a 10 to 15 ft cemented wall. East of the compound wall, is
the village courthouse. West of the compound wall is a
school for girls and boys. To the South and North is
residential housing. On the West side, is the main gate
entrance. A locally hired unarmed security guard controls
access to the compound. The UNHCR staff employees 6 locally
hired security guards. The majority of the guards are
retired Jordanian military personnel. The only security
training these guards have received is from their military
training. Each guard performs an 8-hour shift. The main
entrance is the only way into the compound as well as out.
The main office must clear all visitors, before entering the
compound.


3. Within the compound, is the UNHCR office building (a
former residential house. The office contains 5 office
spaces, 1 radio room, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen. It is
approximately 350 sq. meters in size. The stairwell leads
only to the roof. The building has 2 doors, one in the front
and one in the back. Both doors are secure with key locks and
bolt latch. All of the office,s building windows are
grilled. In case of an emergency, the grilled windows cannot
be removed. Inside the building, there are no smoke
detectors and 1 fire extinguisher. UNHCR personnel are
provided with a first aid kit and have received training in
first aid. In case of an emergency, personnel are instructed
to call the hospital or fire department, depending on the
emergency. The local emergency telephone number is 191.
Both fire department and hospital are 3 minutes away from the
compound. The police station is approximately 3 minutes
away. The fire department is equipped with 2 fire trucks.
The local hospital is equipped with 2 emergency vehicles and
a helicopter-landing pad. The hospital can provide the basic
medical care, should the need arise. Any other serious
medical emergencies will have to be sent to Amman. Due to
the location of the village courthouse, the local police
frequently patrol the area. Crime in Ruweished is very low.


4. The front gate security guard performs screening
procedures into the UNHCR compound. Any visits to the
compound are coordinated with the front office. If
pre-screening and DHS refugees, interviews are to take place
at the UNHCR compound, the refugees will be transported from
No Man,s Land (NML) to the compound via bus. Two local
policemen will be inside the bus throughout the travel to the
site. Once the bus arrives at the compound, one guard is
left inside the bus and another is inside the waiting room.
UNHCR personnel handle only 15 refugees inside the waiting
room. Any additional cases would be kept outside in the bus
or within site of the local policeman. Refugees are handled
by case number. The actual interviews will be conducted in a
small two-room cement building, located on the northeast
corner of the perimeter wall. The two interview rooms are
about 20 meters away from the main building and are
approximately 3 meters by 4 meters in size with one grilled
window in each room and one fire extinguisher. Entry and
exiting can only be obtained by using the two front doors in
each room. No emergency exits are available. Refugees are
escorted by one of the staff personnel. The US Refugee
Admissions Specialist and Assistant will be conducting the
interviews separately. Personnel conducting refugee
interviews are equipped with Motorola GP 340 radios.



B. COMMUNICATIONS:


5. UNHCR personnel have 3 modes of communication: cell
phones, landline telephones, and Motorola GP340. The radio
room, located within the office building, has one channel
link to the local police station. This channel is used only
in case of emergencies. Each office room has a landline
telephone that is operational. All of the UNHCR employees
have cell phones. Security guards at the entrance gate are
also equipped with Motorola GP 340 radios. The facility uses
telephones and cell phones for all forms of communication.
The equivalent of 911 in Jordan is 191 for an emergency. In
the event an officer is involved in an emergency situation
he/she should call post,s marine security guard (post
one)and/or the RSO,s office.



C. HOTEL AND TRANSPORTATION:


6. The town of Ruweished has no public transportation or
hotel services. UNHCR provides its personnel with (4) 4 x 4
wheel drive vehicles, Nissan Patrol, for staff use. Most of
the roads in Ruweished are paved. UNHCR have rented a
4-bedroom home for any guest staying over night. The
guesthouse is approximately 1 minute,s drive away from the
compound. Police and Fire Department is 3 minutes away from
the guesthouse. Ruweished hospital has a 3 minutes response
time to the house. On each of the windows there are bar
grills that cannot be removed. The house itself does not
come equipped with any smoke detectors. Security for the
guesthouse is provided by a locally hired unarmed security
guard. UNHCR hires 3 guards to work an 8-hour shift on the
residence. The only security training the guards have is
what they obtain during their military service.


D. THREAT ASSESSMENT:


7. While there has been no specific threat information
concerning Ruweished, the following information specifically
pertains to Jordan:
While anti-West sentiment has been less pronounced since the
end of the Gulf War, political issues involving post war Iraq
and the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian situation continue to
fuel resentment toward U.S. policy. Warden messages
disseminated in January and March 2004, alerted Americans to
potential terrorist targeting of U.S. interests in Jordan,
including hotels. Recent incidents in Jordan remind us of
the ability of transnational terrorist groups, as well as
less sophisticated local elements, to target Americans and
Western interests in Jordan. In September 2003 13
individuals were arrested for plotting attacks against U.S.
and Jordanian targets, including the U.S. Embassy in Amman.
In May 2003, three individuals connected to the Zarqawi
network were arrested for planning attacks against foreigners
and tourist locations. The October 28, 2002 assassination of
a U.S. diplomat in Amman outside his residence was ultimately
linked to al-Qaeda. Jordanian authorities arrested the
assassins in December 2002. In October 2002, Americans in
Jordan were informed of a potential kidnapping plot by
al-Qaeda. In December 1999, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda
was arrested in Jordan. This group was in the late planning
stages of attacks against western hotels and tourist sites.
The most recent published terrorist alerts have stated that
extremist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks against
U.S. interests worldwide.

Crime is generally not a serious problem for travelers in
Jordan, although petty theft is somewhat common in the
downtown Amman Hashimiyah Square area and near the Roman
amphitheater. In the narrow streets of the old city and at
some of the more popular tourist sites, crowded conditions
invite pickpockets and other petty criminals. Travelers
should be more guarded in these areas and not present easy
opportunities to criminals. American citizens and official
visitors traveling in Jordan should exercise caution, be
alert and stay informed of regional and local events that
could quickly impact the security environment in the country.
It is also recommended to maintain a low profile and not
establish predictable patterns of movement, even if only
visiting for a short period.


GNEHM