JORDANIAN ATTENDANCE AT JUNE MEK CONFERENCE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002184 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018 TAGS: PREL FR IZ IR BE JO SUBJECT: JORDANIAN ATTENDANCE AT JUNE MEK CONFERENCE IN PARIS REF: COHEN-JORDAN EMAIL OF JULY 2 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Media in Jordan and Iran have reported the attendance of thirty-three Jordanian MPs and journalists at a Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) conference in a Paris suburb June 26-30. The incident prompted a diplomatic protest from Tehran, and an awkward response from Amman. A post contact who was part of the delegation outlined his participation in the conference, including questionable methods in obtaining a Schengen visa. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On June 30, Jordanian media reported that thirty-three Jordanian MPs, journalists, and activists attended an MEK conference in the Villepinte suburb of Paris June 26-30. Twelve of the group were reported to be MPs, including deputy speaker of parliament Mamdouh Al-Abbadi and other prominent leftist voices. Speaking to opposition newspaper Al-Arab Al-Yawm, speaker of parliament Abdulhadi Al-Majali distanced himself from the group, saying, "I have no knowledge of (the MPs') participation. I do not know the names of the attending MPs, who only represent themselves, and do not represent the Jordanian House of Representatives." ¶3. (U) According to media reports, Jordan's Ambassador in Tehran Ahmad Al-Mifleh was reportedly convoked by the Iranian MFA and handed an official note of protest. Back in Amman, the Jordanian MFA issued a clarification. A Jordanian MFA statement published on Al-Arabiya.net said that the Ministry "stressed to the Iranian charge d'affaires that there is no connection between the participation of the MPs in the Mujahedin-e-Khalq's conference and the official Jordanian stance; (the MPs') participation was on a personal level." ¶4. (C) On July 9, poloff met with Jamal Refai, a journalist, political analyst, and former director of a human rights NGO. Refai has long had informal ties with MEK officials resident in Amman, and visited their compound in Diyala province as recently as 2005. He was an invited guest of the MEK at the Paris conference, although he says he was unaware until he arrived that MPs and other Jordanians were in attendance. Refai was invited by Sanabargh Zahedi, whose business card lists his title as "Member of the Judicial Council, National Council of the Iranian Resistance." The conference was an all-expenses paid trip for all of the Jordanian participants. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone," Refai explained. ¶5. (C) Refai displayed an invitation letter from Belgian MP Jean-Pierre Malmendier (a known supporter of the MEK who appears frequently on the group's website),which he used to obtain a Schengen visa. The letterhead was from an organization called "Marc & Corrine", but Refai explained that there was no such NGO - the letterhead was merely used as a front to smooth the visa process for conference attendees. The French text of the letter was an invitation to discuss vaguely framed "cooperation," and did not mention the MEK at all. Refai claimed that Jordanian MPs and journalists also received similar letters from non-existent organizations "inviting" them for consultations in various European locations. ¶6. (C) Refai estimated that there were far fewer people at the conference than the MEK's estimate. He confirmed media reports on which Jordanian MPs attended the meeting, but noted that it was firebrand MP Nariman Al-Rousan (not, as was reported, deputy speaker of parliament Mamdouh Al-Abbadi) who gave a speech on behalf of the Jordanian delegation. For his part, Refai said he preferred to spend his time with various sheikhs from Iraq who were in attendance rather than the Jordanian delegation. He believes that Shi'a influence in Iraq needs to be countered, both on a political and on a military level. He is largely ignorant of the MEK's goals in terms of Iran, but is very interested in their role in stopping the spread of Iranian influence in Iraq. Refai does not consider the MEK to be a terrorist organization, saying that they "used violence before," but had pursued a different approach for some time. ¶7. (C) MP Abdullah Gharaibeh also went on the trip, yet it was clear that he had little knowledge (even after returning from Paris) about the MEK as an organization. He went because it was a free trip to France, and indicated to poloff that his colleagues had the same motivation. Gharaibeh explained away his attendance as a "fact-finding mission" and said that he "doesn't care about the goals of the MEK, and doesn't know about their methods." Rubinstein