GOJ REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY COUNTERTERRORISM AND

S E C R E T AMMAN 009792

SIPDIS

NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2025
TAGS: PTER MASS PREL JO
SUBJECT: GOJ REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY COUNTERTERRORISM AND
NATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FUNDING

REF: A. AMMAN 8845 (NOTAL)


B. AMMAN 8829

C. WHITE HOUSE DTG 150216 DEC 05

Classified By: CDA Daniel Rubinstein, for reasons 1.5 b and d


1. (S/NF) Haitham Mufti, King Abdullah,s key advisor for
many security assistance issues involving the USG, conveyed
on December 18 the GoJ,s formal request for additional U.S.
assistance in the wake of the November 9 Amman hotel bombings
that killed more than 60.


2. (S/NF) Mufti briefed Charge on a detailed
(GOJ-classified) memorandum describing Jordan,s request.
DATT and SIMO chief were also present at the meeting. The
GOJ memorandum bases the request on an assessment that
terrorists will continue to attempt to carry out attacks
against Jordan like those of November 9, and that such
attacks will destabilize Jordan politically and economically.



3. (S/NF) Highlights of the Jordanian request include
requirements for:

--hardware such as x-ray and Gamma-ray machines for border
posts and airports,

--a network of closed-circuit cameras and monitors for
public places and sensitive sites,

--a comprehensive study of the training needs of Jordanian
security personnel,

--in-depth management assessments of coordination among GOJ
security agencies,

--an inventory of critical infrastructure, and a study of
needed enhancements to infrastructure security,

--studies of GOJ security-related communications needs, and
upgrades as needed,

--the construction and equipping of a crisis management
operations center,

--training and establishment of an improved interagency
counterterrorism coordination unit,

--a national biometric database.


4. (S/NF) The Jordanian requests, which are spread over
three years, are estimated by the GoJ at a total cost of
about USD 340 million. Mufti emphasized that the eventual
specific needs in the request ) especially the hardware )
could change depending on the results of the various
assessments the GoJ seeks of its current vulnerabilities and
needs.


5. (S/NF) Neither the Jordanian request memorandum nor the
discussion with Mufti indicate whether the GoJ has specific
USG funding mechanisms in mind at this point. Post believes,
however, that other elements of current USG security
assistance programs aside from FMF could be quickly accessed
for the central assessment portions of the Jordanian request
should they be approved by the USG.


6. (S) The GoJ memorandum detailing the assistance request
will be sent electronically to relevant Washington
addressees.
RUBINSTEIN