JORDAN-IRAQ BORDER RESTRICTIONS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005399

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2024 1.6 X5, X6
TAGS: PREL PHUM IZ JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN-IRAQ BORDER RESTRICTIONS

Classified By: Ambassador Edward Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b),(d).


1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: We understand that elements of the 1st
Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) have restricted all
military-age men from entering Iraq through the Jordan border
crossing at Karama. Our Humanitarian Assistance Coordination
Center (HACC) border liaison contacts said that the MEF
elements at the border have a tentative plan to end the
restrictions July 4. Separately, Jordan has imposed various
fees for vehicles and persons exiting Jordan into Iraq, and
Jordanian border officials continue to restrict entry of
military-age Iraqis. The confusion over the new fees, poor
communication between border officials, and restriction of
military-age Iraqis from entering Jordan has created some
unrest at the border in recent weeks. At the Ambassador's
request, the King has said he will convene an interagency
meeting to resolve border problems. END SUMMARY.

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NO MILITARY-AGE MEN ALLOWED TO ENTER IRAQ
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2. (S/NF) According to Post's HACC border liaison officer,
elements of the 1 MEF are not allowing military-age men to
enter Iraq through the Karama border. This move is
apparently based on intelligence reports of insurgents
gathering at the Syrian border with Iraq. The unit operating
at the border has a tentative plan to end the restriction on
July 4.

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JORDAN RESTRICTING ENTRY OF IRAQIS
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3. (C) According to HACC, Jordanian border security officials
are refusing entry to most Iraqis to Jordan. Liaison officer
cited a recent example of an Iraqi working for the CPA who
had traveled several times to Jordan over the past year, but
was initially refused entry on his most recent attempt. The
Jordanians relented only after our liaison officer stepped in
to question why the Iraqi would not be allowed to enter.
According to Jordanian officials at the border, the
restrictive entry policy is aimed at stopping Iraqis
presenting fake passports, those attempting to cross
illegally (sometimes over a hundred in a day are caught),and
Jordanian security fears of smuggled persons and weapons.
Contrary to local rumors though, the Jordanian border
security are not, according to liaison officer, restricting
Iraqis from exiting Jordan into Iraq.

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POOR COMMUNICATION, UNREST AT THE BORDER
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4. (C) According to HACC, Jordanian and Iraqi border
officials are not communicating very well. The Jordanians
view the Iraqi border security personnel as unprofessional
and do not trust them. The Jordanians do not believe that
Iraqi border officials make a real effort to restrict Iraqis
traveling with fake passports. Our liaison officer also
reported on a recent instance in which an Iraqi border
official threatened a Jordanian border official with violence
in a telephone call because the Jordanians had refused entry
to a relative. Our HACC liaison officer said that these
tighter border security measures, poor communication between
border security, and new fees (see below) have caused some
unrest at the border in recent weeks. Additionally, our HACC
office reported that there are lines of vehicles, sometimes
as long as 10 to 12 kilometers, waiting for entry into Jordan
each day.


5. (C) In a June 28 meeting with the King, the Ambassador
addressed the issue of long delays of vehicles and people at
the border. The King said that he was aware of the problem
and that the delays were, in part, security-related. The
King turned to members of the Royal Court present and
directed that an inter-agency meeting be convened to address
the issues.

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WHAT ARE THESE BORDER TAXES?
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6. (C) In conversations with the Jordan Ministry of Finance
(MOF),EconOff confirmed that the Jordan cabinet decided on
June 8 to impose a series of fees on Iraqi registered and
licensed vehicles at the Karama border. Details of each fee
are listed below. Fees 4a and 4b were imposed for one day,
but were then suspended for 30-days.


1. 10 Jordan Dinar (JD) (1 JD = 1.4 USD approximately)
annual traffic passport fee on all public transportation
vehicles.

2. 1-2 JD fee for each lead seal on commercial vehicles.


3. 1 JD (each entry) forms office fee.

4a. 80 JD fee diesel fuel supplement for Iraqi trucks.

4b. 80 JD fee for any foreign registered truck entering
Iraq under the Oil for Food Program (OFF). (comment:
EconOff assisted a CPA rep last week in requesting from the
Jordan Ministry of Planning (MOP) a continuance of its
humanitarian waiver for OFF traffic until the end of the
year. We understand that the Iraq Ministry of Transport will
follow the matter up with the MOP.)


5. 75-150 JD handling fee for Iraqi trucks with cargo
exiting Jordan. The weight of the vehicle and cargo
determines the amount of the fee for each vehicle.


6. 5 JD departure tax on each Iraqi citizen leaving
Jordan, no border specified.

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COMMENT
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7. (C) Now that the transfer of authority has taken place in
Baghdad, cooperation and coordination between Jordanian and
Iraqi officials at the Karama/Trebil border will become more
important in ensuring smooth operations. HACC intends to
maintain a routine, but not continuous, border liaison
presence to help smooth the still-prickly relations between
Jordanian and Iraqi border officials.


8. (U) AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD minimize considered.

Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at

http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/

or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET
home page.
GNEHM