LEBANON: STOCKHOLM DONORS, CONFERENCE

S E C R E T AMMAN 006542

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2016
TAGS: PREL EAID EAIR MOPS LE JO IS
SUBJECT: LEBANON: STOCKHOLM DONORS, CONFERENCE

REF: A. STATE 139903


B. AMMAN 6335

Classified By: Charge d'affaires Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)


1. (S) Summary: Jordan's Foreign Minister will probably
attend the August 31 donors' conference in Stockholm. Jordan
is providing important support and facilitation for Lebanon's
recovery. Some of the GOJ's most useful help stems from its
good relations with Israeli security and military services;
the GOJ appears to prefer to keep the spotlight off those
relations in the current domestic climate. End summary.


2. (SBU) Polcouns delivered reftel demarche to Foreign
Ministry chief of staff Dimai Haddad August 27. Haddad said
Foreign Minister Abdelillah Al-Khatib would probably
represent Jordan at the conference.


3. (U) Jordan continues to provide considerable support for
stabilization in Lebanon. Highlights of Jordanian aid are
summarized below:

-- (SBU) Field hospital: The GOJ dispatched a military field
hospital to Lebanon, and it began operating while the
conflict was still underway.

-- (SBU) Jordanian military engineers: Shortly after
hostilities ended, the Jordanian military's Royal Engineer
Corps helped clear unexploded ordinance from Beirut's
airport, and is now providing similar help in other parts of
the country. We understand Royal Engineers are discussing
with Lebanese authorities the possibility of aiding in the
reconstruction of bridges and other damaged infrastructure.

-- (C) Jordanian military flights: Royal Jordanian Air Force
(RJAF) planes carrying humanitarian aid were the first to
land in Beirut after the cease fire, and have continued on a
daily basis. The GOJ placed a high priority on being first,
in part in order to counter unhappiness on the Jordanian
"street" with King Abdullah's public criticism of Hizballah
early in the conflict.

-- (S) Other military flights: Some other Arab countries
seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Beirut in military
aircraft arranged for RJAF pilots and crews to fly them, thus
facilitating air clearance from Israeli authorities. These
flights continue.

-- (C) Amman air gateway: The only commercial flights into
and out of Beirut are currently passing through Amman's Queen
Alia International Airport (QAIA). Post understands Israel
agreed to this arrangement with the understanding that
Jordanian authorities would ensure that no problematic
passengers or cargo passed through QAIA.

-- (C) Amman air gateway (continued): The GOJ appears
sensitive to misperceptions that it is acting as Israel's
agent in the Amman gateway arrangement. On August 26, GOJ
spokesman Nasser Judeh denounced unnamed critics of the
arrangement, an apparent reply to recent statements on
Al-Jazeera by "Al-Quds Al-Arabi" editor Taher al-Atwan who
claimed "Mossad agents" were at QAIA inspecting travelers to
and from Lebanon. Some more general statements about the
existence of the Amman air gateway allegedly made by Israeli
government officials may have also fed this perception.

-- (U) Charities: The Hashemite Charitable Organization
(HCO) is coordinating relief donations for Lebanon from NGOs
and wealthy individuals. HCO has sent supplies both by
Jordanian milair and with commercial truckers through Syria.

-- (S) Security assistance to GOL: Post understands that
senior GoJ officials are working with Gulf Arab governments
to provide small arms and/or training to GOL security forces.


4. (S) Comment: The GOJ places a premium on stabilizing
Lebanon, partly to address popular emotions in Jordan over
the conflict (ref B),but also likely as a way to help
engineer an environment more favorable to the efforts of
moderate states such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to
encourage renewed peacemaking in the region. We can count on
the GOJ to continue its key facilitating role for assistance
to Lebanon. End comment.

Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/

Rubinstein