JORDANIAN COMMENTS ON REVISED RAPE AS POLICY

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004395 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/RHS EWEPLER AND AOSTERMEIER, NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA JO SUBJECT: JORDANIAN COMMENTS ON REVISED RAPE AS POLICY RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 149658 ¶B. AMMAN 05045 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Poloff delivered demarche (Ref A) to the Foreign Ministry's International Organizations Deputy Director, Hussam al-Husseini, on October 30. Husseini said he had yet to be briefed on the initial intra-GOJ consultations on the original text, but would follow up with his colleagues and consult with the Jordanian UN mission in New York regarding the compromise language that focused the resolution on rape "as an instrument to achieve political or military objectives" rather than on rape "as an instrument of state policy." ¶2. (C) Husseini emphasized that Jordan preferred to coordinate its positions with the OIC, and the Arab states in particular. Poloff noted that the latest amendments were a good-faith effort by the U.S. to show flexibility in the face of concerns raised by the OIC and African states. Husseini said he appreciated that flexibility and argued that the more the resolution could accommodate a wide array of concerns, the better. Poloff noted that while the U.S. remained open to further amendments, it was opposed to any that would significantly weaken the resolution or shift its focus. ¶3. (C) During an earlier discussion with Poloff on the initial version of the resolution (Ref B),Husseni had predicted it could prompt some debate over the definition of rape. He was pleased to hear that to the extent there was debate, this was not the main issue; he had expected African states would make that a stumbling block. ¶4. (C) Bio note: Husseini is new to his position, having most recently served as DCM at Jordan's Permanent Mission in Geneva. He comes across as open-minded, and in casual conversation spoke fondly of his service in Japan and in India. He voiced fascination with the local religions there, despite their being "quite strange" to him at the outset. Professing to be an observant Muslim, he opined that religious people are better equipped for tolerance of others than are strict secularists. His English is strong. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ Hale