GOJ REMAINS COMMITTED TO PEACEKEEPING IN HAITI

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 000534 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR KPKO HA JO SUBJECT: GOJ REMAINS COMMITTED TO PEACEKEEPING IN HAITI REF: PORT AU PRINCE 130 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b,d). (C) Post expects the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) to investigate formally the January 17 incident, and will urge the GOJ to cooperate fully with any UN investigation. Four Jordanian peacekeepers with the UN's Haitian Peacekeeping efforts have been killed since October 2005. On January 18, the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged to Ambassador that there was parliamentary pressure to withdraw the Jordanian peacekeepers from Haiti, but the Cabinet had debated the issue the previous day and confirmed that the GOJ will stay the course and remain in Haiti. The King also reiterated to IO Assistant Secretary Silverberg and Ambassador his own determination to continue to participate in the peacekeeping operation, noting that a Jordanian counterterrorism unit would soon be sent there. Post comment: The JAF views UN peacekeeping in Haiti and elsewhere as a means to project an image of the JAF as a professional and reliable force. End Comment. Hale