JORDAN SEEKS U.S. INTERVENTION WITH UN COMPENSATION

UNCLAS AMMAN 002693 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR NEA/ELA AND IO; GENEVA FOR LEGAL ADVISOR KHANNA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID SENV KUNC JO IZ SUBJECT: JORDAN SEEKS U.S. INTERVENTION WITH UN COMPENSATION COMMISSION AND SUPPORT FOR GOJ PROPOSAL REFS: A) Geneva 1052, B) AMMAN 829 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See paragraph 4. ¶2. (SBU) Then Prime Minister Nader Al-Dahabi requested from the Ambassador, during a November 11 meeting, support for Jordan's interests during the next meeting of the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC). Subsequent to that meeting, then Environment Minister Khaled Irani reviewed for EconCouns Government of Jordan (GOJ) views on the history of its interaction with the UNCC and requested U.S. intervention. Irani was pleased to report that Jordan's most serious concern, dispersal of awarded funds, had recently been addressed. He explained that of the $160 million awarded in 2005, until mid-November, Jordan had only received a little over $100 million. Fifty-seven million was transferred in November, enabling Jordan to implement plans for restoring an ecosystem damaged during the first Gulf War. Irani, however, requested U.S. support for prompt action at the next UNCC Governing Council meeting to approve a phased $23 million spending plan for local community projects, an action item that is reportedly already on the agenda. ¶3. (SBU) Not on the agenda and of equal concern to Jordan is an alleged $12 million deduction for funds for environmental programs by the UNCC Secretariat for purported overpayments of individual claims. Irani stated that the GOJ list of individual claims was provided by the UNCC and since the GOJ did not prepare the list, the government is therefore not responsible for, and should not be penalized for any mispayments. He claimed that upon subsequent review, Jordan determined the UNCC list included deceased individuals, people who could not be located, and duplicate listings. Jordan, he reported, through the Ministry of Labor simply made the payments it could. Now that a problem has reportedly been identified, compensation has been taken from environmental funds. Irani argued that any overpayment problem should not be linked to environmental programs and requested an immediate investigation of the matter and restoration of the funds for environmental use. Irani added that although GOJ relations with the UNCC Secretariat are much improved now and UNCC processes less bureaucratic under the current Executive Secretary, the GOJ remains disappointed with the lack of response to its concerns about the $12 million deduction. ¶4. (U) Action request: Post would welcome any information that can be shared with the GOJ on the USG position at the next meeting of the Governing Council. Post would also appreciate any information that can be shared with Jordan on the "missing" $12 million. Post POCs are Economic Counselor Natalie Brown (BrownNE2@state.gov) and ESTH Officer Manu Bhalla (BhallaM@state.gov). Beecroft