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