JORDAN COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR William Louden

UNCLAS AMMAN 005057

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT OTRA ASEC AFIN JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR William Louden

REF: STATE


1. (SBU) Embassy Amman warmly welcomes the visit of
William Louden to Jordan from 29 December through 4
January 2008, as requested reftel. The travelers
should carefully review this message, especially the
threat assessment at paragraph 9.


2. On October 1, 2007, the Department of State
electronic country clearance (eCC) application was
deployed for all U.S. Government travelers. eCC is
the official channel to request country clearance.
All agencies and visitors are requested to use eCC to
request country clearance in the future.


3. (SBU) Control officer for this visit is LTC Cyril.
Contact information is as follows: 962-6-590-6551
(office); 962-6-590-0160 (fax); 962-6-593-5506
(home); 962-77-766-3603 (mobile); and
cyriltl@state.gov. The Embassy's after-hours
telephone number is +962-6-590-6500.


4. (SBU) Hotel reservations have been made at Amman
HOTEL NAME HERE, phone 962-6-xxx-xxxx and fax 962-6-
xxx-xxxx. Cost is at a rate within per diem;
breakfast is not included in the room rate. Due to
security concerns in Jordan (paragraph 8),TDY
personnel are assigned hotels on a rotational basis.
Therefore, Embassy Amman will make the final decision
on hotel accommodations for all visitors. The
Embassy will provide expeditor assistance upon
arrival and departure.


5. (U) Valid visas are required for entry into
Jordan. Visas may be obtained at Queen Alia airport
though not at all land border crossings; however,
Embassy Amman suggests visitors obtain their visas
prior to arrival, as there can be long queues for
visa issuance at the airport. Money can be exchanged
at Queen Alia airport or in the delegationQs control
room.


6. (U) Action request: Each visitor, regardless of
length of stay, must bring/forward fiscal data to pay
for direct costs of the visit. Each agency,
organization or visiting delegation will be charged
for the actual costs attributed to its visit. Direct
charge costs include, but are not limited to:
American and LES overtime (for such services as
airport expediting, cashier accommodation exchange,
control room staffing, representational event
support),travel and per diem costs incurred by post
personnel in support of visitorQs field travel,
rental of vehicles and other equipment, long distance
telephone calls, office supplies, gasoline and other
vehicle maintenance costs, departure tax and other
airport fees. Post will not provide service if
fiscal data is not provided for the direct charges.
For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there is a
charge for ICASS support services. This charge is
for the following ICASS services: Basic Package, CLO
and Health Services. Agencies will not be billed
until the accumulated invoice cost for TDY support
exceeds $2,500 for the fiscal year. If your
sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services
at post, please be prepared to sign a Memorandum of
Understanding for ICASS support services upon
arrival. The agency should provide post with a
written communication, generated by the travelerQs
headquarters, that confirms the agency will pay ICASS
charges for the TDYer, provides the agency ICASS
billing code the TDY support charges should be
applied to, and authorizes the traveler to sign the
ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. Where
travel is urgent, the TDYer should bring this
documentation with him/her to ensure there are no
interruptions in the provision of service. Post will
not provide any service to a TDYer staying in excess
of thirty days without provision of this
documentation before day 31 of the TDY.


7. (U) HEALTH: H5N1 avian flu was confirmed in
poultry in Jordan in March 2006, and in the same
month, the Government of Jordan confirmed a human
case of H5N1 avian flu in a person who was infected
in Egypt and traveled to Jordan while sick. The
World Health Organization declared Jordan to be free
of avian flu in May 2006. There have been no
confirmed cases of avian flu in people or birds in
Jordan since the summer of 2006. Further cases of
avian flu in both people and birds in Jordan remain
possible. For this reason and for normal health
precautions, visitors are encouraged to avoid live
poultry, poultry farms, and any dead birds. Visitors
should use hand sanitizer and wash hands frequently.
Travelers should also patronize restaurants having
high standards for food safety and hygiene, and ask
that poultry and egg products be cooked thoroughly.

Although Jordan does not pose any unusual health
hazards for visitors, the quality of health care
facilities is not up to the U.S. or European
standards, particularly outside of Amman. As
medications on the local economy are often in short
supply, visitors should bring sufficient medications
to post for their chronic medical problems.
Immunizations should be current for Tetanus and
Diphtheria, Hepatitis A and B. Visitors should drink
bottled water rather than tap water. Food in the
hotels and most restaurants is safe to eat, but some
of the smaller local restaurants do not always
observe proper food handling procedures.

Only those personnel covered under the State
Department's medical program and who have a valid
medical clearance for Jordan are eligible for a
medical evacuation at USG cost. All other visitors
are advised to have their own medical evacuation
insurance to cover evacuation by air ambulance.
Otherwise it will be necessary to ensure that the
respective agency will cover any costs related to a
medical evacuation. All local hospitals take major
credit cards.


8. (U) SECURITY CLEARANCE AND BUILDING ACCESS: In
compliance with State Department regulations and
Embassy policies, visitors requesting unescorted
access to the Embassy compound should inform RSO
Amman of their security clearance level (if any) and
should name the agency that granted that clearance.
Telegrams containing this information should include
the QASECQ tag to ensure distribution to the RSO.

Electronic devices: RSO approval must be obtained
before any electronic device is brought into the
Embassy. Privately owned laptops and personal
computers, peripherals, diskettes, and tapes are
prohibited in all mission facilities.
Cellular/mobile phones and palm pilots are prohibited
in controlled access areas.

Travelers with USG-owned unclassified laptops or
notebook computers, peripherals, diskettes, and tapes
must receive RSO/IMO authorization before being
granted access to U.S. Mission buildings. USG-owned
classified computers must be sent to post via
classified diplomatic pouch. Classified equipment
must bear external USG bar-code inventory numbers and
classification markings commensurate with the highest
level of information processed on the system.
Questions concerning other types of electronic
devices and magnetic media may be directed to the RSO
and IMO.

Mandatory personal security training: Per 04 STATE
66580, all employees traveling to post for 30 days or
more (whether PCS or TDY) must have completed the
mandatory personal security training (State
Department Security Overseas Seminar or equivalent)
before arriving at post. Agencies must provide the
Chief of Mission with certification that this
training will be completed prior to the employeeQs
travel. Failure to do so will result in denial of
country clearance.


9. (U) THREAT ASSESSMENT: The threat of terrorism
remains high in Jordan. Transnational terrorist
groups, as well as less sophisticated local elements,
have demonstrated the capability to pose threats in
Jordan. The Al-Qaida in Iraq network is of
particular concern for terrorist activities against
U.S. and Government of Jordan (GOJ) targets in
Jordan. The Al-Qaida in Iraq network claimed
responsibility for the November 9, 2005 bombings of
three international hotels in Amman, which killed 60
people and injured over 100. Pedestrian suicide
bombers wearing explosive vests carried the bombs
into the hotels. Al-Qaida in Iraq also claimed
responsibility for the Aqaba rocket attacks on August
19, 2005 targeting a U.S. naval ship, which killed
one Jordanian soldier and wounded another. The
assassination of American diplomat Larry Foley
outside his west Amman residence on October 28, 2002
was also attributed to Al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu
Musab Al-Zarqawi, who was killed in Iraq in June

2006.

In addition, there has been a series of confirmed
terrorist threats and disrupted terrorist plots
targeting U.S. or Jordanian interests in Jordan. In
November 2006, the GOJ arrested four men who were
planning to use a taxi cab to identify and
assassinate an American. In the same month, the GOJ
arrested three men who were reportedly plotting to
attack the U.S. Embassy and assassinate President
Bush during his visit to Jordan. In February 2006,
the GOJ disrupted a terrorist cell plotting to attack
Queen Alia International Airport. In November 2005,
the GOJ indicted six men for planning to carry out
attacks against Americans at hotels and bars in Amman
and Aqaba. In August-September 2005, four militants
were arrested for plotting assassinations of
Americans in Jordan. In July 2005, GOJ authorities
arrested 17 men who had planned to assassinate GOJ
officials and Americans in Jordan; the group was
reportedly linked to Al-Qaida in Iraq. In February
2005, four men were arrested for plotting attacks
against GOJ officials, tourists and five-star hotels.
In the same month, another group was disrupted while
plotting to attack liquor stores in Amman and foreign
tourists in Aqaba.

Terrorists often do not distinguish between U.S.
government personnel and private citizens.
Terrorists may target areas frequented by Westerners,
such as tourist sites, hotels, restaurants, bars,
nightclubs, liquor stores, shopping malls,
transportation hubs, places of worship, expatriate
residential areas, and schools. In light of these
security concerns, U.S. citizens are urged to
maintain a high level of vigilance, to be aware of
their surroundings, and to take appropriate steps to
increase their security awareness. It is especially
important for travelers to be unpredictable by
varying their times and routes and to maintain a low
profile. Moreover, U.S. citizens are urged to avoid
contact with any suspicious or unfamiliar objects and
to immediately report the presence of such objects to
the authorities. U.S. Government personnel overseas
have been advised to take the same precautions.

Anti-American and anti-Western sentiment exists in
Jordan and has been sparked on occasion by incidents
in the region, particularly those related to
Israeli/Palestinian issues and, to a lesser extent,
Iraq. This may lead to random acts of violence
against Westerners. On September 4, 2006, a gunman
fired on foreigners at a popular tourist site in
central Amman, killing one and injuring six.

Travelers are advised to avoid any demonstrations or
large gatherings of people. Many demonstrations
occur near mosques after Friday prayers.
Consequently, special sensitivity and caution should
be exercised at or near mosques and religious sites
during holy days and the Friday Muslim Sabbath.
Demonstrations also often take place at universities
and refugee camps.

Crime is generally not a serious problem for
travelers in Jordan, but petty crime is prevalent in
the downtown Amman Hashimiyah Square area and near
the Roman Amphitheater. In the narrow streets of the
older parts of the city center, crowded conditions
invite pickpockets and other petty criminals.
Travelers are urged to be more guarded in these areas
so that they do not present easy opportunities for
criminals.

In central and west Amman, there have been reports of
thieves snatching pedestriansQ purses from moving
vehicles and then driving off. In some instances,
victims were injured when they were unable to free
themselves from their purses. When carrying a purse,
it would be wise to conceal it if possible, to avoid
walking near the road within reach of passing
vehicles, and to walk against the flow of traffic.

Jordanian police have warned the public to exercise
vigilance when leaving banks or ATM machines, as
thieves have reportedly preyed upon persons soon
after using these services.

Western women both visiting and residing in Jordan
report sexual harassment, stalking, and unwelcome
advances of a sexual nature; there have been isolated
reports of assault. Women are advised to take
reasonable precautions including dressing
conservatively and not traveling alone. Modest
attire should be worn in deference to local custom.


10. (U) TRAVEL GUIDELINES: American citizens and
official visitors traveling in Jordan should exercise
caution, be alert, and stay informed of regional and
local events that could quickly impact the security
environment in the country. It is also recommended
to maintain a low profile and not establish
predictable patterns of movement, even if only
visiting for a short period. Yellow taxis are widely
used throughout the country and for the most part
without adverse incidents occurring. Still, there
have been confirmed reports of single females being
assaulted or verbally harassed by taxi drivers. The
Embassy Internet website has a list of radio
controlled taxi companies that the Government of
Jordan has advised us vet their drivers at
http://amman.usembassy.gov/int_dev/Pa_amman/d ocs/taxi
_list.pdf.

For further information, see the State Department's
Consular Information Sheet for Jordan at
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/ cis
/cis_1149.html and link from that site to the most
recent Public Announcements on Travel in the Middle
East and South Asia and the most recent Worldwide
Caution.

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

HALE