Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AMMAN4063
2006-06-07 10:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
JORDAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDATE FOR WCO CHAIRMANSHIP;
how-toVZCZCXYZ0031 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHAM #4063 1581004 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 071004Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1010 INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS AMMAN 004063
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DHS/CBP FOR KEITH THOMSON
STATE PASS TO USTR
STATE FOR IO AND NEA/ELA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD AORC EFIN PINR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDATE FOR WCO CHAIRMANSHIP;
SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT
UNCLAS AMMAN 004063
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DHS/CBP FOR KEITH THOMSON
STATE PASS TO USTR
STATE FOR IO AND NEA/ELA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD AORC EFIN PINR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDATE FOR WCO CHAIRMANSHIP;
SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT
1. (SBU) The Foreign Ministry informed Embassy via
diplomatic note June 4 that Jordan is nominating Customs
Director General Ala'a Batayneh for the World Customs
Organization chairmanship in the WCO election being held in
Brussels at the end of the month. The GoJ seeks U.S. support
for the nomination. Post is forwarding to NEA/ELA a copy of
the c.v. that accompanied the dip note. Text of the note
follows.
BEGIN TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
No. AD2/Tarshihat/1782
June 1, 2006
Jordan will nominate Eng. Ala'a Batayneh, Director General of
Customs, for the position of Chairman of the World Customs
Organization in elections that will be held in Brussels,
Belgium during the meeting of the organization's Council in
the period June 30 - July 1, 2006.
The Foreign Ministry appreciates the support of embassies for
this nomination and also enclosed the c.v. of Eng. Batayneh
with this note.
END TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE.
2. (SBU) COMMENT: U.S.-educated DG Batayneh is well and
favorably known to Embassy. Jordan's Customs Department has
always been a leader in the region and, although he has only
been in the job for a year, Batayneh has demonstrated himself
to be an effective champion of policies with which the U.S.
has much in common. We believe he would make an excellent
WCO Chairman.
3. (SBU) BIO NOTE: Batayneh was confirmed Customs Director
General on May 31, 2005. He had been Secretary General at
the Ministry of Transport since 2000. Batayneh studied at
George Washington University (GWU),where he received a BSc.
degree in electrical engineering; he received an MSc. from
GWU in 1993. As Transport Ministry SecGen, he gave strong
support to bolstering Jordan's critical transit trade with
Iraq. He also made significant contributions to Jordan's
transportation infrastructure development. He played a major
role in bringing to an end a truck association's virtual
monopoly via a trucking queue system at Aqaba port; shippers
at Aqaba now choose trucking companies based on their record,
not based on which truck is next in line. Batayneh has
demonstrated a keen desire to continue to develop the GOJ
Customs Department as an adaptive, active, and dynamic
organization; it is already a leader among customs
departments in the Middle East and North Africa region. He
is married to Princess Rahma, daughter of Prince Hassan (the
late King Hussein's youngest brother). END BIO NOTE.
HALE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DHS/CBP FOR KEITH THOMSON
STATE PASS TO USTR
STATE FOR IO AND NEA/ELA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD AORC EFIN PINR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN ANNOUNCES CANDIDATE FOR WCO CHAIRMANSHIP;
SEEKS U.S. SUPPORT
1. (SBU) The Foreign Ministry informed Embassy via
diplomatic note June 4 that Jordan is nominating Customs
Director General Ala'a Batayneh for the World Customs
Organization chairmanship in the WCO election being held in
Brussels at the end of the month. The GoJ seeks U.S. support
for the nomination. Post is forwarding to NEA/ELA a copy of
the c.v. that accompanied the dip note. Text of the note
follows.
BEGIN TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
No. AD2/Tarshihat/1782
June 1, 2006
Jordan will nominate Eng. Ala'a Batayneh, Director General of
Customs, for the position of Chairman of the World Customs
Organization in elections that will be held in Brussels,
Belgium during the meeting of the organization's Council in
the period June 30 - July 1, 2006.
The Foreign Ministry appreciates the support of embassies for
this nomination and also enclosed the c.v. of Eng. Batayneh
with this note.
END TEXT OF DIPLOMATIC NOTE.
2. (SBU) COMMENT: U.S.-educated DG Batayneh is well and
favorably known to Embassy. Jordan's Customs Department has
always been a leader in the region and, although he has only
been in the job for a year, Batayneh has demonstrated himself
to be an effective champion of policies with which the U.S.
has much in common. We believe he would make an excellent
WCO Chairman.
3. (SBU) BIO NOTE: Batayneh was confirmed Customs Director
General on May 31, 2005. He had been Secretary General at
the Ministry of Transport since 2000. Batayneh studied at
George Washington University (GWU),where he received a BSc.
degree in electrical engineering; he received an MSc. from
GWU in 1993. As Transport Ministry SecGen, he gave strong
support to bolstering Jordan's critical transit trade with
Iraq. He also made significant contributions to Jordan's
transportation infrastructure development. He played a major
role in bringing to an end a truck association's virtual
monopoly via a trucking queue system at Aqaba port; shippers
at Aqaba now choose trucking companies based on their record,
not based on which truck is next in line. Batayneh has
demonstrated a keen desire to continue to develop the GOJ
Customs Department as an adaptive, active, and dynamic
organization; it is already a leader among customs
departments in the Middle East and North Africa region. He
is married to Princess Rahma, daughter of Prince Hassan (the
late King Hussein's youngest brother). END BIO NOTE.
HALE