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. -------------- NO MILITARY-AGE MEN ALLOWED TO ENTER IRAQ -------------- ¶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. -------------- JORDAN RESTRICTING ENTRY OF IRAQIS -------------- ¶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. -------------- POOR COMMUNICATION, UNREST AT THE BORDER -------------- ¶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. -------------- WHAT ARE THESE BORDER TAXES? -------------- ¶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. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶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