CODEL MCHUGH WRAP-UP REPORT
Document Type:
Collection:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
CIA-RDP90B01370R000300420023-8
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
C
Document Page Count:
3
Document Creation Date:
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date:
November 30, 2010
Sequence Number:
23
Case Number:
Publication Date:
January 13, 1984
Content Type:
CABLE
File:
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CIA-RDP90B01370R000300420023-8.pdf | 153.22 KB |
Body:
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/18: CIA-RDP90B01370R000300420023-8
CONFIDENTIAL
OLL/LD
INCOMING
PAGE 001
TOR: 131001Z JAN 84
RR RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
STU4224
RR RUEHC
DE RUEHAM #0391/01 0121727
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 1217242 JAN 84
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7907
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0815
BT
CONF I DENT I AL AMMAN 00391
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS : PREL, JO, US, IS, XF
2. SUMMARY: CONGRESSMEN MCHUGH OF NEW YORK, LEHMAN
OF FLORIDA, PRITCHARD OF WASHINGTON, AND MARRIOTT OF
UTAH ALONG WITH DELEGATE DELUGO OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
VISITED JORDAN JANUARY 7 - 10. THE CONGRESSMEN WERE
ACCOMPANIED BY EDWIN POWERS, STAFF DIRECTOR OF THE
PROFESSIONAL STAFF HAC SUBCOMMITTEE ON FOREIGN OPERA-
TIONS; MARIANNE O'SULLIVAN. AID CONGRESSIONAL LIAISON
STAFF; AND PETER BURLEIGH. INR, DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE CODEL'S VISIT TO JORDAN WAS TO
REVIEW U.S. ECONOMIC AND MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
AMBASSADOR, USAID DIRECTOR, AND DAO BRIEFED CODEL AT
AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE ON THE EVENING OF ARRIVAL. THE
CODEL MET WITH TOP JORDANIAN ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND
MILITARY LEADERS INCLUDING JAF COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF BIN
SHAKER, NATIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL PRESIDENT HANNA ODEH,
AND FOREIGN MINISTER MARWAN KASIM. THE HIGHLIGHT OF
THE VISIT WAS A DINNER ON THE CODEL'S FIRST EVENING IN
AMMAN HOSTED BY KING HUSSEIN AND QUEEN NOOR FOR THE
CODEL, INCLUDING WIVES. AMBASSADOR AND MRS. VIETS AND
ED POWERS ALSO ATTENDED. PRIOR TO THE DINNER, KING
HUSSEIN MET PRIVATELY WITH THE CONGRESSMEN. PROFESSIONAL
STAFF REPRESENTATIVE POWERS. AND AMBASSADOR VIETS.
ON JANUARY 9 THE CODEL HAD OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT AN
UNRWA SUPPORTED REFUGEE CAMP NEAR AMMAN AND TO VIEW
RECENT ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE
JORDAN RIVER VALLEY, INCLUDING USAID-FINANCED SCHOOLS,
CLINICS, ROADS, IRRIGATION SCHEMES, AND ADMINISTRATIVE
CENTERS. CROWN PRINCE HASSAN HOSTED A LUNCHEON FOR
THE CODEL AT THE JORDAN VALLEY AUTHORITY DEIR ALLA REST
HOUSE. EMBASSY BELIEVES CODEL MCHUGH VISIT TO JORDAN
WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. END SUMMARY
3. SEPTELS REPORT CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CODEL MCHUGH,
AMBASSADOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ZAID BIN SHAKER,
FOREIGN MINISTER MARWAN KASIM. AND NATIONAL PLANNING
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COUNCIL PRESIDENT HANNA OOEH AS WELL AS THE MEETING
WITH KING HUSSEIN ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 7.
4. ON JANUARY 9, USAID OFFICERS ESCORTED CODEL ON
A TOUR OF ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
IN THE JORDAN VALLEY. ENROUTE TO THE VALLEY, THE CODEL
STOPPED AT THE JEBEL HUSSEIN REFUGEE CAMP FOR A BRIEF-
ING BY UNRWA OFFICIALS ON REFUGEE AFFAIRS AND TOURED
CAMP SCHOOLS, CLINICS, VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND SUPPLE-
MENTARY FEEDING PROGRAMS. THE TOUR OF THE JORDAN VALLEY
INCLUDED THE AID-ASSISTED EAST GHOR CANAL TO AMMAN
WATER PIPELINE PROJECT AS WELL AS USAID-FINANCED
SCHOOLS. HEALTH AND REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE CENTERS,
THE USAID-FINANCED EAST GHOR MAIN IRRIGATION CANAL AND
AID-SUPPORTED ROADS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. CROWN
PRINCE HASSAN HOSTED LUNCHEON AT THE JVA DEIR ALLA
GUEST HOUSE. THE LUNCHEON WAS PRECEDED BY A BRIEFING
BY DR. MUNTER HADDADIN. PRESIDENT OF THE JORDAN VALLEY
AUTHORITY. HADDADIN STRESSED THE "INTEGRATED" NATURE
OF THE JORDAN VALLEY DEVELOPMENT SCHEME WHICH COMBINED
INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE, HADDADIN SAID, WAS THE PRIVATE
SECTOR (FARMERS AND ENTREPRENEURS ALIKE) INVESTMENT OF
MILLIONS OF DINARS IN ON-FARM FACILITIES. FOR EVERY
ONE JORDANIAN DINAR INVESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN
INFRASTRUCTURE, SOME 7 DINARS HAVE BEEN INVESTED BY THE
PRIVATE SECTOR IN AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT OF THE VALLEY INCREASED MORE THAN
EIGHTFOLD DURING THE PAST DECADE TO DOLS 150 MILLION
WORTH OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN 1982. HADDADIN
STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF AID'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE JORDAN VALLEY AS WELL AS THE
AUTHORITY'S PROFOUND DISAPPOINTMENT THAT AID FUNDING
FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE VALLEY IS NO LONGER
AVAILABLE.
5. FOLLOWING HADDADIN'S PRESENTATION, CROWN PRINCE
HASSAN SPOKE ELOQUENTLY TO THE CODEL ABOUT JORDAN'S
DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENTS. HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION
FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE IN SUPPORT OF JORDAN VALLEY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AT THE PLANNING STAGE, THE
IRRIGATION SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION STAGE, AND THE INTE-
GRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT STAGE. HE RECALLED HIS OWN
EFFORTS IN THE EARLY 1970'S TO OBTAIN INTERNATIONAL
FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND THE RELUCTANCE
HE ENCOUNTERED ON THE PART OF THE WORLD BANK AND
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS PREL, JO. US, IS, XF
SUBJECT : CODEL MCHUGH WRAP-UP REPORT
OTHER DONORS TO COME FORTH WITH FINANCING AT THAT
TIME. HE NOTED THAT IT WAS ONLY AFTER JORDAN PROVED
ITSELF DURING THE 1972-74 DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT
CONFIDENCE WAS REESTABLISHED IN JORDAN'S ECONOMIC
MANAGEMENT ABILITIES.
6. COMMENTING ON CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, HASSAN
STATED THAT JORDAN HAD TRADITIONALLY EMPHASIZED THE
DEVELOPMENT OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE--HUMAN
SKILLS. HE STATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN STRONG
DEMAND FOR JORDAN'S PRODUCTIVE MANPOWER IN THE OIL
PRODUCING STATES DURING THE PAST DECADE BUT THAT THE
SITUATION IS CHANGING. HE REPORTED THAT SOME OF THE
GULF STATES ARE NOW TERMINATING OR FAILING TO RENEW
CONTRACTS OF MANY JORDANIAN WORKERS. JORDAN ALSO IS
FACING A TIGHTENING MARKET FOR VALLEY AGRICULTURAL
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PRODUCTS. SAUDI ARABIA AND THE GULF STATES HAVE
INVESTED HEAVILY IN HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED AGRICULTURE AND
OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION, SUCH AS TURKEY, ARE
ATTEMPTING TO PENETRATE GULF MARKETS. IN THIS REGARD,
JORDAN NEEDS TO PLACE MORE IMPORTANCE ON THE SUCCESS-
FUL MARKETING OF ITS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. TRADITIONAL
EXPORTS TO IRAQ ARE BEING CONSTRAINED BY OTHER FACTORS.
7. THE CROWN PRINCE CONCLUDED HIS REMARKS WITH A DES-
CRIPTION OF THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM, INCLUDING
REFERENCE TO THE 300 THOUSAND PALESTINIANS IN LEBANON
AND THE MORE THAN ONE MILLION PALESTINIANS ON THE WEST
BANK AND GAZA. HE DESCRIBED THE ISRAELI SETTLEMENT
POLICY ON THE WEST BANK AND STATED THAT THE PER
CAPITA INCOME OF THE WEST BANKERS HAS NOT IMPROVED
SINCE 1967. AS THE SETTLEMENT POLICY CONTINUES, THE
ECONOMIC WELL BEING OF THE WEST BANK PALESTINIANS CAN
ONLY WORSEN. "AND TO WHERE WILL THESE PALESTINIANS
THEN TURN?", THE PRINCE ASKED RHETORICALLY. AS A
FINAL POINT, THE CROWN PRINCE CONTRASTED THE DOLS
2.7 BILLION IN U.S. ECONOMIC AND MILITARY AID TO
ISRAEL IN 1983 WITH THE SMALLER FIGURE OF ROUGHLY
DOLS 73 MILLION SECURITY AND ECONOMIC AID TO JORDAN.
8. THE CODEL DEPARTED JORDAN ON THE MORNING OF
JANUARY 10. FROM THE EMBASSY'S PERSPECTIVE, THE
VISIT WAS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, BOTH IN TERMS OF PRO-
VIDING THE CODEL OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH
THE JORDANIAN LEADERSHIP ON IMPORTANT MIDDLE EAST
ISSUES AND ALSO IN REVIEWING THE U.S. DEVELOPMENT
AND SECURITY RELATIONSHIPS WITH JORDAN. WE ALSO
BELIEVE THE JORDANIANS WHO MET WITH THE CODEL WERE
IMPRESSED WITH THE CONGRESSMENS' THOUGHTFUL AND
SUBSTANTIVE INTEREST IN JORDAN'S POLITICAL AND
ECONOMIC FUTURE.
VIETS
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