POLISH POLICE PRESENCE IN JORDAN AT RISK

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007660 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, EUR, INL E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2009 TAGS: PREL JO PL SUBJECT: POLISH POLICE PRESENCE IN JORDAN AT RISK Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE, REASONS 1.4 (B) & (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. A high level USG approach in Warsaw is recommended to seek reevaluation of a decision to withdraw Polish trainers from the Iraq cadet program in Jordan. End summary. ¶2. (C) Polish Ambassador Biera (protect) confirmed to Charge on September 15 that Poland,s Ministry of Interior had proposed to withdraw the ten police trainers participating in the Iraq police training program in Jordan, by the end of September. He said the newly appointed Deputy Interior Minister did not support the program, unlike his predecessor, and based the decision on financial considerations. Biera said he had hoped that King Abdallah,s recent visit to Poland would set the stage for an extension of the program, but to his knowledge the subject did not come up in the King,s meetings, nor did Polish Interior Ministry officials respond to the MFA,s invitations to join some of the visit events. Biera is expecting a Polish official in Amman shortly for a final review of the matter. Asked what the USG could do to help, Biera said a political message in Warsaw, appealing to the strategic nature of Poland,s contribution, could help elevate attention. He suggested the approach be made to either the Foreign Minister or Deputy Foreign Minister Zolleski (phonetic spelling). As for funding, he thought the Prime Minister ) a supporter of international action in Iraq ) could make funds available if asked. ¶3. (C) Biera described the King,s visit as &excellent8 and primarily focused on deepening trilateral cooperation between Iraq, Jordan, and Poland. A specific example he cited was the possibility of a trilateral partnership to upgrade, in Jordanian plants, old Soviet-era military equipment now in Iraq,s inventory. ¶4. (C) Recommendation: Poland,s participants in the training program are among the best, and their sudden departure would handicap the program just as we seek to increase class sizes. We urge consideration be made to the high level appeal recommended by Biera. HALE