ARTICLE 98 -- PARLIAMENT COMPLETES RATIFICATION

UNCLAS AMMAN 000151 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR JO KICC SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98 -- PARLIAMENT COMPLETES RATIFICATION REF: AMMAN 00018 (SBU) Jordan,s lower house of parliament voted January 8 to ratify the Article 98 agreement between Jordan and the U.S. that was signed December 16, 2004 in Washington. Foreign Minister Al-Khatib told Ambassador that only 17 of the 74 MPs present voted against the accord. NOTE: In order to achieve a quorum for the vote, Lower House Speaker Majali reportedly threatened to publish the names of absent MPs in the press. END NOTE. Jordan's upper house of parliament approved the agreement back on August 9, 2005. This completes Jordan,s ratification. The Foreign Ministry,s legal advisor tells us Jordan,s Embassy in Washington will convey formal notification to the Department via diplomatic note. Hale