JORDAN AND THE NEW WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ

S E C R E T AMMAN 001821 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2017 TAGS: MARR MASS MOPS PREL PTER IZ JO SUBJECT: JORDAN AND THE NEW WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ REF: A. STATE 55436 ¶B. AMMAN 139 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) The Government of Jordan and its most senior leadership continue to view U.S. success in Iraq as essential to its own security. Since the run-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom it has agreed to a series of U.S. requests for important political and logistical assistance. The GOJ has supported training in Jordan for over 50,000 Iraqi police officers and prison guards, over 2,500 Iraqi Army regular troops and CT forces, and numerous Iraqi Air Force pilots. The GOJ has hosted advanced training for Iraqi officers at the Jordanian National Defense College and elsewhere; established a field hospital in Fallujah; and conducted other training programs for Iraqi administrative, financial and IT civil servants in Jordan. Jordan provided high-profile political support for the Government of Iraq with initiatives such as the August, 2006 visit to Baghdad of Prime Minister Marouf Al-Bakhit and other ministers; the September, 2005 visit to Baghdad of then-PM Adnan Badran; and the November, 2006 visit to Jordan of PM Maliki. It is the only Arab state to have sent official visitors to Iraq at this level. As reported ref B, King Abdullah told Ambassador he welcomed President Bush's January 10 speech. Jordan's leadership concurs fully with the USG's emphasis on the need to support PM Maliki, and is committed to using its influence to encourage all elements of Iraqi society to reconcile. ¶2. (S) Post expects Jordan to continue to support the U.S. effort in Iraq. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ HALE