THINKING AHEAD: IRAQ TRAINING PROGRAMS IN JORDAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002909 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2015 TAGS: PTER PREL IZ JO SUBJECT: THINKING AHEAD: IRAQ TRAINING PROGRAMS IN JORDAN UNDER THE ITG REF: A. AMMAN 02714 ¶B. BAGHDAD 01247 Classified By: CDA David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) The recent row between Jordan and Iraq sparked by alleged Jordanian suicide bomber Ra'ed al-Banna demonstrated how brittle this bilateral relationship can be when mismanaged (on the Jordanian side in this instance) and how much emotional baggage the Iraqis in particular bring to the relationship. King Abdullah and the GOJ remain fully aware of their strategic interest in continuing to develop robust, multi-layered relations with the Iraqi government and emerging Iraqi institutions. This commitment includes doing all in their power to help stabilize and consolidate authority in Iraq, principally through the provision of facilities and staff to train Iraqis in many different fields, including badly needed security and military training (ref A). Jordan's proximity to Iraq, reasonable travel and lodging costs, and experienced trainers make it a natural choice for training programs conducted outside Iraq. And we invested a great deal in these facilities at a time when we had few other options to get training started rapidly. Their continued use will be important to maximize the per-head cost of the training, to expose Iraqi trainees to an Arab model of policing and security that is markedly different from the Saddamist style, and to anchor in a practical way a critical relationship between Iraq and an Arab ally. ¶2. (C) Listed below are some of the more notable training programs, either ongoing or conducted recently with the potential for future training: -- Jordan International Police Training Center (over 14,000 Iraqi police cadets trained to date) -- New Iraqi Army training (1,978 trained by Jordanian Army) -- Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (ICTF) training (Jordanian Special Operations Command) -- Training for Iraqi Air Force pilots and crews of the Iraqi Air Corps (Jordanian Air Force) -- Advanced military studies for Iraqi officers (Jordanian National Defense Institute) -- Training for Iraqi air traffic controllers and aviation inspectors (Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority) -- Training on bank inspections and open-market operations (Central Bank of Jordan) -- Information technology training provided to several Iraqi ministries (e.g., health, education, planning) -- Food inspection training (Jordanian Food & Drug Administration) -- Training of Iraqi nurses/staff nurses (Jordanian Ministry of Health) -- Census training (Department of Statistics) In addition to the GOJ-affiliated programs listed above, the private sector is also conducting considerable training in Jordan. ¶3. (C) With the standup of the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG),the GOJ will be watching for signals of the new Iraqi leadership's attitude towards training programs here. Post stands ready to work with the GOJ to help meet Iraqi training needs and to respond to ITG concerns about the Jordan-based programs. ¶4. (U) Minimize considered. HALE