JORDAN BLUE LANTERN:VERIFYING BONA FIDES OF

UNCLAS AMMAN 000217

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM/DTCC BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KOMC JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN BLUE LANTERN:VERIFYING BONA FIDES OF
REGISTERED BROKER IMAD MATARNEH (CASE NUMBER K-2064)

REF: A. A) WILSON-JOUBERT-LIN EMAIL NOV 09

B. B) 09 STATE 99523


1. (SBU) Economic Section and Foreign Commercial Service
(FCS) LESs conducted initial/preliminary database searches
on this firm through Government of Jordan (Ministry of
Industry and Trade(MoIT)) on-line records and found no
pertinent information. FCS personnel are familiar with the
owner, Imad Matarneh, however, who has an established
business in Amman.


2. (SBU) Blue Lantern Officer, accompanied by LES assistant,
met Mr. Imad Matarneh, president of Al-Montaser
Technical Services on 8 December 2009. Mr. Matarneh reported
he has served in the Jordanian Armed Forces, retiring
as a Major in 1994 from the Special Communications
Commission, which oversees all telecommunications operations
in/for Jordan. He explained that his company is named Near
East Technologies, Ltd. (NET),but had recently formed
Al-Montaser as an affiliate/subsidiary. He said they
specialize in telecommunications and technology with his
clients being primarily the Jordanian Armed Forces and other
security agencies, such as the General Intelligence
Department and the Public Security Directorate.


3. (SBU) Matarneh reported his company is the in-country
representative for major U.S. defense technology companies
such as Raytheon, ITT, and Hawker-Beechcraft, and noted that
he is the facilitator and go-between for these U.S.
businesses to operate in Jordan; Al-Montaser never actually
handles or possesses any equipment or material.


4. (SBU) Matarneh said the 2007 U.S. Government requirement
to have companies register as brokers created a
possible privacy issue regarding his other -- primarily
European -- clients. So to ensure he was protecting
the proprietary data, he created a completely separate
company, Al-Montaser, which was registered as required
(he said his firms are cleared by the Trade Reporting and
Compliance Engine (TRACE)
(http://www.finra.org/Industry/Compliance/Mar ketTransparency/
TRACE/)


5. (SBU) Matarneh's connections to the Jordanian military
generally speak well of his reputation and reliability.
Additionally, he is known by U.S. military officers in Post's
Defense Attache Office with no reported derogatory
information about him or his companies. A local staff member
reports rumors within the Amman business community
that Matarneh has a reputation for "playing hardball" with
colleagues and competitors if he deems it necessary,
however there is no information that his businesses have ever
operated improperly.


6. (SBU) Conclusion. Based on initial impressions, the owner
appears to be a well-established and connected businessman in
Jordan, and the company, while newly created, appears to be
as represented, and legitimately
engaged in the business he reports they are engaged in.


7. (U) Corrected address/contact information for this firm
is:

- IMAD MATARNEH, PRESIDENT
- AL-MONTASER TECHNICAL SERVICES, LTD.
- OFFICE 312, AL-HUSSEINI CENTER
- 39 ABDALLAH GHOUSHEH STREET
- AMMAN
- JORDAN 11118
- TEL: 962-6-593-0382
- FAX: 962-6-593-1517

Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://diplopedia.state.sgov.gov/index.php?ti tle=Embassy
Amman
Beecroft