Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN6752
2005-08-22 11:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

FY 05 RP:"FOREIGN POLICY DECISION MAKING

Tags:  OEXC SCUL JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

221111Z Aug 05
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006752 

SIPDIS

ECA/PE/V/R/N (RREMEIKA); NEA/PPD (DBENZE); NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL JO
SUBJECT: FY 05 RP:"FOREIGN POLICY DECISION MAKING
PROCESSES," APRIL 16 - MAY 7, 2005 - PROGRAM EVALUATION


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006752

SIPDIS

ECA/PE/V/R/N (RREMEIKA); NEA/PPD (DBENZE); NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL JO
SUBJECT: FY 05 RP:"FOREIGN POLICY DECISION MAKING
PROCESSES," APRIL 16 - MAY 7, 2005 - PROGRAM EVALUATION



1. FOLLOWING IS THE EVDB EVALUATION OF SUBJEC PROGRAM:

START FIXED-FORMAT TEXT (PLEASE DO NOT EDIT):
: THE FOLLOWING DATA IS IN A FIXED FORMAT WHICH ENABLES
: AUTOMATED PROCESSING IN WASHINGTON AND SHOULD NOT BE
: EDITED EXCEPT BY MEANS OF THE POST-EVDB SOFTWARE.
EXPORT-SOURCE: POST-EVDB
VERSION: 3.0.7
POST-EMAIL: ALDADAWM@STATE.GOV
TRANSMITTING-POST: PAS AMMAN
TRANSMITTING-POST-ID: 2887
EXPORT-TYPE: PROJECT EVALUATION
START PROJECT-EVAL-REC:
POST-PROJ-ID: 240
ECA-PROJ-NO: E/VGN-2005-0009
PROJ-NAME: FOREIGN POLICY DECISION MAKING PROCESSES - JORDAN
CPTHEME: DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
START MEMO IMPACT:
MR. MOHAMMAD ABU RUMMAN BENEFITED GREATLY FROM THE PROGRAM.
HE HAD BEEN TO THE UNITED STATES BEFORE TO STUDY ENGLISH IN
MICHIGAN, BUT THIS PROGRAM EXPOSED HIM TO MUCH MORE OF
AMERICAN SOCIETY AND ITS DIVERSITY AND DEPTH. HE ASSESSED
THE PROGRAM AS VERY COMPREHENSIVE AND SAID IT WIDENED HIS
PERSEPECTIVE OF THE UNITED STATES AND ITS FOREIGN POLICY
PROCESS.
OVERALL, HE BENEFITED THE MOST FROM THE PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON, DC, AND FROM THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL
MEETINGS IN WASHINGTON, DC, AS THEY GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO
LEARN ABOUT THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE FOREIGN POLICY PROCESS
THAT ARE NOT SO WELL-KNOWN. HE WAS SURPRISED AND IMPRESSED
BY THE ACTIVE INTELLECTUAL DEBATE IN THE UNITED STATES ON
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES. HE FOUND THE MEETINGS WITH RELIGIOUS
GROUPS, THE CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER, AND HARVARD PROFESSOR
STEPHEN WALT VERY USEFUL. HE WAS ALSO ABLE TO ARRANGE A
MEETING WHICH HE FOUND VERY HELPFUL WITH ALBERTO FERNANDEZ
AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE ON U.S. POLICY AND APPROACH
TOWARD ISLAMIST GROUPS.
HE DID NOT LIKE THE MEETINGS WITH THE AMERICA ISRAEL PUBLIC
AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (AIPAC) OR THE ARAB-AMERICAN ANTI-
DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE (ADC). HE FELT THAT THE AIPAC
SPEAKER WAS UNDIPLOMATIC AND CONFRONTATIONAL AND NOT
INTERESTED IN FOSTERING DISCUSSION. IN PARTICULAR, THE
SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT THE GROUP'S POLITICAL VIEWS AND NOT
ABOUT HOW THEY DO BUSINESS OR ARE PART OF THE FOREIGN POLICY
PROCESS. THE ADC SPEAKER ALSO DID NOT ADDRESS ISSUES
RELEVANT TO THEIR PROGRAM, AND ONLY TOUCHED ON SIDE ISSUES
LIKE IMMIGRATION AND AIRPORT SECURITY, WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT
THE ADC'S INTERESTS AND ROLE IN THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
PROCESS.
MR. ABU RUMMAN ENJOYED THE INTERACTIONS WITH ORDINARY
AMERICANS AND WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT HIS HOMESTAY WAS
CANCELLED.
HE HAS KEPT IN TOUCH WITH MANY OF THE OTHER PROGRAM
PARTICIPANTS. HE FELT THAT A FEW OF THEM WERE NOT WELL-
SUITED TO THE PROGRAM AND THAT THIS WAS EMBARASSING IN THEIR
MEETINGS WHEN THESE PARTICIPANTS WOULD ASK BAD QUESTIONS.
END MEMO IMPACT:
START MEMO AUDIENCE-REACHED:
MR. MOHAMMAD ABU RUMMAN IS EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR OF AL-GHAD
ARABIC DAILY AND A WRITER/ANALYST AT AL-ASR ELECTRONIC
MAGAZINE. HE ALSO CONTRIBUTES ARTICLES TO LONDON-BASED AL-
BAYAN DAILY NEWSPAPER. HE IS AN IMPORTANT PRESS CONTACT IN
JORDAN BUT ALSO AN INTELLECTUAL WHO HAS WRITTEN A NUMBER OF
ARTICLES AND BOOKS ON REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD, U.S. FOREIGN
POLICY, AND ISLAMIST THOUGHT AND POLITICAL MOVEMENTS.
HE WROTE FIVE ARTICLES ABOUT HIS VISIT TO AMERICA IN AL-GHAD
AND OTHER NEWSPAPERS.
HE ALSO SERVES AS A PRESS ADVISOR TO THE MINISTER FOR AWQAF
AFFAIRS, AND WILL ENCOURAGE THE MINISTER TO SEND A PROPOSAL
TO THE EMBASSY TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM FOR JORDANIAN RELIGIOUS
LEADERS TO TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES.
END MEMO AUDIENCE-REACHED:
ECA-PROGRAM-OFFICE-RATING: 5
START MEMO ECA-PROG-OFFICE-COMMENT:

END MEMO ECA-PROG-OFFICE-COMMENT:
PROGRAM-AGENCY-RATING: 5
START MEMO PROG-AGENCY-COMMENT:
HE SAID THE MERIDIAN INTERNATIONAL CENTER DID A GREAT JOB.
HE WAS IMPRESSED BY AMBASSADOR KENTON KEITH WHO WAS A GOOD
HOST AND DID A GREAT JOB OF MODERATING DEBATES AND
PRESENTING NEUTRAL OR INCLUSIVE OPINIONS IN OFTEN DIVISIVE
SUBJECTS. ALL OF THE TRANSLATORS WERE EXCELLENT.
END MEMO PROG-AGENCY-COMMENT:
START ESCORT-INTERPRETER-EVALUATION:
ESCORT-INTERPRETER: ROBYN REMEIKA
RATING: 5
START MEMO COMMENT:
HE SAID ROBYN WAS VERY UP-TO-DATE ON HER INFORMATION AND DID
A GOOD JOB DURING THE EVALUATION SESSION.
END MEMO COMMENT:
END ESCORT-INTERPRETER-EVALUATION:
END PROJECT-EVAL-REC:

HENZEL