PALESTINIANS STRANDED AT JORDAN-IRAQ BORDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002046 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA AND PRM BAGHDAD FOR ROBERT FORD AND LAMELA LOURDES CAIRO FOR REFCOORD CHEYNE GENEVA FOR RMA - JOE CASSIDY E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2016 TAGS: PREF PREL KPAL XF IZ JO SUBJECT: PALESTINIANS STRANDED AT JORDAN-IRAQ BORDER REF: A. MARCH 20 LAMELA-KANESHIRO EMAIL ¶B. BAGHDAD 785 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: As of mid-day March 20, 89 Palestinians who left Baghdad with the assistance of an American NGO, were stranded in the no-man's land between the Iraqi and Jordanian border posts at the Karamah-Trebil crossing. The Jordanian Government is not admitting the Palestinians who claim to be fleeing targetted attacks in Iraq. The Iraqi border authorities are reportedly reluctant to re-admit the Palestinians. There are no indications that the refugees have been hurt as a result of this standoff. UNHCR secured GOJ approval to assess this group's immediate humanitarian needs late March 19, but a cross-border mission scheduled to take place March 20 was unexpectedly blocked by Jordanian border authorities -- a delay that UNHCR/Amman believes to be the result of a communication breakdown stemming from the fact that the Jordanian Interior Minister is abroad. While UNHCR/Amman is willing to consider cross-border operations should this group remain queued at this border, it views enhanced security for vulnerable Palestinian communities in Baghdad as the only viable means to prevent new Palestinian refugee grups from heading towards international borders. END SUMMARY. JORDAN'S RESPONSE TO PALESTINIANS FLEEING IRAQ -------------- - ¶2. (C) As of mid-day March 20, the 89 Palestinian refugees who fled Baghdad by bus with the assistance of the American NGO Christian Peacemakers Team over the weekend (ref B) remained stranded in the 2-km strip of land between the Jordanian and Iraqi border posts at the Karameh-Trebil crossing that is generally referred to as "no man's land" (NML). The U.S. military's Civil Affairs Liaison Office (CALT),attached to Embassy Amman, and UNHCR/Amman report that Jordanian and Iraqi border authorities have both attempted to move the group out of their respective territories in the last 24 hours. NOTE: This group was "stamped out" by Iraqi immigration officials the morning of March 19 but was subequently denied entry by the Jordanians. END NOTE. On the night of March 19, Jordanian border authorities moved several vehicles carrying crew-served weapons towards the NML but within Jordanian territory; in response, the Palestinians moved toward the Iraqi border post. Iraqi border authorities reportedly transported some members of the group back to the center of the NML March 20. UNHCR reports that CPT has encouraged the Palestinians to remain in the NML. Embassy Baghdad subsequently confirmed that members of this group have contacted an Embassy FSN to underscore their intention to remain at the border until Jordan permits entry (ref A). ¶3. (SBU) According to UNHCR Jordan's Acting Representative Anna-Maria Deutchlander, Jordanian MOI Refugee Unit Coordinator Kadem Al Naber informed UNHCR/Amman March 19 that the GOJ is not willing to offer asylum to this group. While the GOJ permitted about 800 Palestinians formerly resident in Iraq to enter Jordan in 2003 under an LOU UNHCR negotiated with the GOJ in April of that year to "provide temporary protection to persons in need of humanitarian assistance caused by possible hostilities in Iraq," it informed UNHCR in April 2005 that it no longer regards the MOU to be in force. Although UNHCR/Amman is asking Jordan to offer first aslyum for this group, UNHCR Jordan understands that the GOJ will not permit entry, and is now taking steps to consider the need to provide cross-border assistance to this group. However, both Deutchlander and UNHCR Iraq AMMAN 00002046 002 OF 002 Acting Representative Walpurga Englebrecht stressed in March 19-20 telcon's to refcoord that UNHCR is not encouraging Palestinians to leave Iraq. Englebrecht appealed for the USG to back a written appeal High Commissioner Guterres made to President Talabani last week for Iraqi army or police to protect vulnerable Palestinian neighborhoods in Baghdad, noting that UNHCR recognizes that regional resettlement is not a viable option. PLANNED MARCH 20 UNHCR ASSESSMENT MISSION DELAYED -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) UNHCR does not conduct regular cross-border operations on the Iraq-Jordan border, and has been unable to conduct detailed interviews with the Palestinians' immediate humanitarian needs as of late March 19. A cross-border mission scheduled to take place March 20 was unexpectedly blocked by Jordanian border authorities. UNHCR/Amman believes the delay was the result of a communication breakdown stemming from the fact that Jordanian Interior Minister Eid El Fayez is in Libya. UNHCR has been able to remotely assess the composition and needs of this group as the two USCIT CPT staff who initially accompanied the group to the border provided the Palestinians the mobile phone numbers of UNHCR/Amman staff posted to the agency's Ruweished field office. Through calls initiated by the refugees, UNHCR believes the group is composed of families carrying Iraqi travel documents, including 42 children and 3 elderly persons. Members claimed that they left Iraq because they were the victims of direct attacks and/or threats. The callers did not identify their alleged attackers. STANDOFF BETWEEN JORDANIAN AND IRAQI FORCES -------------- ¶5. (C) UNHCR/Amman is also reporting that tensions have developed between Jordanian and Iraqi border authorities as a result of the Palestinians' presence. Embassy Amman's CALT office reported that both Jordanian and Iraqi border posts have closed, and that no traffic was crossing the frontier March 20. The GOJ also reportedly cut water supplies to the Iraqi border post, in apparent retaliation for Iraqi authorities' decision to transport the refugees back to the center of NML earlier today. COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (C) The GOJ worries that even a small influx of refugees from Iraq -- whether Iraqi or Palestinian -- could lead to greater population movements which the country is ill-equipped to support, and which could only compound further existing tensions between different segments of Jordan's populations, be it the east Bank- Palestinian divide now several decades old, or the Iraqi- Jordanian tensions of more recent vintage. HALE