UPDATE REQUEST ON JORDAN INTL POLICE TRAINING

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000729

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE - HOH, SAINZ, BALIAN, INL - PHILLIPS,
NEA/I - JENSEN, NEA/ELA, T/PM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MOPS PINR SNAR KCRM JO HR DEFENSE REFORM
SUBJECT: UPDATE REQUEST ON JORDAN INTL POLICE TRAINING
CENTER (JIPTC)

REF: SELINGER/BALIAN/JENSEN/PHILLIPS EMAILS OF JULY 24


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. Please see para 6.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Assistant Interior Minister
Filip Dragovic requested information from PolOffs July 26
regarding the future of the Jordan International Police
Training Center (JIPTC). The Ministry of Interior (MUP)
currently provides two training officers scheduled to depart
at end of August and would like to plan assignments and
budgets for future, potentially expanded contributions.
According to Dragovic, Croatia would be well positioned to
provide trainers in the areas of VIP protection, special
measures and criminal investigations -- all rumored among
current JIPTC staff to be topics in unconfirmed future
training courses. Dragovic requested the earliest possible
confirmation of upcoming JIPTC needs so the MUP can select
and prepare the right trainers. The JIPTC provides a unique
avenue for the GoC to contribute to coalition efforts in Iraq
without bearing the local political cost of actually placing
personnel on Iraqi soil. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.

READY TO CONTRIBUTE BUT COURSES UNCONFIRMED
--------------


3. (SBU) Dragovic reiterated Croatia's political commitment
to the JIPTC, noting President Mesic's May 2007 visit to the
facility. He stressed, though, that MUP officials need to
know as far in advance as possible about course topics and
JIPTC needs so they can identify appropriate trainers and
prepare them for assignment to Jordan.


4. (SBU) According to the two Croatian police officers
currently serving as trainers in Jordan, a six-week
corrections officer basic course has been confirmed past the
current JIPTC September 1 end date. Five other courses are
reportedly still under consideration:
- corrections officer medic course,
- facility protection course,
- field training officer course,
- senior training officer course, and
- judicial investigator course.

CROATIAN POLICE: UNIQUE WARTIME EXPERIENCE
--------------


5. (SBU) Dragovic implied that his trainers would make a much
more valuable contribution to some of these unconfirmed
courses than they can make to basic corrections officer
courses. He pointed in particular to the number of Croatian
police who have the unique experience of performing law
enforcement functions such as VIP/facility protection,
special police measures, and criminal investigations in a
wartime environment.


6. (U) ACTION REQUEST: Post requests earliest possible
notification of future JIPTC needs in order to advise GoC and
MUP to ensure their continued contribution of police trainers.

POLICE ACTIVE IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
--------------


7. (SBU) Dragovic also informed Post of the September session
of Croatia's Police Peacekeeping School at the training
center in Valbandon, near the port of Pula. This session
will be the first to incorporate newly developed UN
peacekeeping guidelines. Trainees will include 10 Croatian
police officers as well as five from neighboring countries
and five UN-sponsored slots to be filled this year by police
from Israel. More than 30 Croatian police officers have
graduated from this course and have either served or are
prepared to serve in international missions.


8. (SBU) This year, the GoC will also increase its police
contingent assigned to UNMIK in Kosovo, according to
Dragovic, from nine to 14. Similarly, Croatia's contribution
in East Timor will go from two to five. Croatia also has
police assigned to the EUPOL mission in Afghanistan and the
UN mission in Cyprus.
BRADTKE