JORDAN LIKELY TO BE HELPFUL ON IRAQI

S E C R E T AMMAN 005471

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2014
TAGS: ECON EFIN MOPS PREL PTER JO IZ
SUBJECT: JORDAN LIKELY TO BE HELPFUL ON IRAQI
TERRORIST/INSURGENCY FINANCE

Classified By: Ambassador Edward Gnehm, for reasons 1.4 (b),(c),and (
d).


1. (S/NF). The Jordanian government strongly supports the
interests of the United States in reducing the terrorist
violence on-going in Iraq, violence which Jordan has suffered
from directly with the August 2003 attack on its Embassy in
Baghdad. Political stability in Iraq and a peaceful
environment in which Jordanian companies can trade and invest
remains a top goal of both King Abdullah and the government
as a whole. Jordan has been helpful in freezing Iraqi
assets, and has transferred $250 million in formerly frozen
assets to the Development Fund for Iraq. Jordan has also been
cooperative with the USG in stopping terrorist financing.


2. (S/NF). Nevertheless, in the case of Jordan, an Executive
Order authorizing the freezing of assets in the U.S. of
individuals and entities supporting the Iraqi insurgency
would not in itself enhance our ability to interdict funds in
Jordan. Jordanian Law allows the Central Bank to stop any
banking transaction related to "a crime or an illegitimate
act," thus providing sufficient legal recourse to stop Iraqi
terrorist/insurgency financing. The U.S. would, in most
cases, need only to provide the GOJ will the relevant
information in time to allow the government to freeze a
suspect account or to stop a suspect transaction.


3. (S/NF). Regarding the individuals and organizations
listed in para. 7 of reftel, post would not expect Jordanian
opposition to the designations proposed.
GNEHM