JORDAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SAUDI COUNTERTERRORISM

S E C R E T AMMAN 000711 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2015 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL JO SUBJECT: JORDAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SAUDI COUNTERTERRORISM CONFERENCE REF: SECSTATE 09866 Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S/NF) Jordanian government officials will attend the counterterrorism conference hosted by the government of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on February 5-8 (ref). Major General Samih Asfurah of the General Intelligence Directorate will head Jordan's delegation. Other GID officials participating in the delegation include: Colonel Ali Barjaq, Lieutenant Colonel Ziyad al-Armuti, and First Lieutenant Mutasim al-Arud. ¶2. (C) Walid Obeidat of the Foreign Minister's private office told POLOFF on January 27 that the director of the MFA's legal department, Bishar al-Khasawneh, will most likely participate in the delegation. He noted that representatives from other Jordanian ministries also may attend, but those participants are not confirmed. ¶3. (U) Jordan has publicly supported the Saudi counterterrorism conference. During a visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month, Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez affirmed Jordan's support for the Saudi government's counterterrorism efforts and lauded the initiative to convene an international conference on the subject. ¶4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. HALE