VZCZCXRO2085
RR RUEHBC RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #0200 0191634
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191634Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6715
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 0001
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0076
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC 0426
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0102
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS AMMAN 000200 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS ASEC HA JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: DESPITE LOSSES IN HAITI QUAKE, JORDAN 
RECONFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS 
 
REF: AMMAN 00199 
 
¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  Jordan lost three of its military 
peacekeepers, and 23 were wounded in the January 12 
earthquake.  This is in addition to five Jordanian 
peacekeepers who were recently killed in an October 2009 UN 
plane crash in Haiti.  Despite this loss, Jordan has sent a 
military field hospital and emergency supplies to assist the 
international relief effort.  In addition, the Jordanian 
Government stated publicly that the loss in Haiti and other 
recent losses by Jordanian peacekeepers would not affect 
Jordan's commitment to participate in such missions. End 
Summary. 
 
Jordan's Contributions to Haiti 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  Since the January 12 earthquake, Jordan has sent two 
C130 aircraft with relief supplies to assist international 
efforts.  The first aircraft arrived in Port-au-Prince on 
January 14, carrying medical supplies, small teams of medics, 
and water. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The second aircraft departed Jordan on January 15 
carrying materials and supplies to establish a military field 
hospital, including teams of physicians specialized in 
surgery and orthopedics.  This second aircraft experienced a 
mechanical failure en route and is currently awaiting repairs 
in the Bahamas. 
 
¶4.  (U)  These material contributions to the international 
relief effort are in addition to the roughly 800 Jordanian 
security forces deployed in Haiti.  Jordan's presence in 
Haiti includes: 
 
-- a 500-person battalion of UN military peacekeepers, 
-- two 125-person Formed Police Unit companies, and 
-- a Special Assignments platoon. 
 
¶5.  (U)  On January 17, the Jordan Times reported that 
members of the peacekeeping battalion had evacuated a 
Jordanian family that was trapped in the rubble, and were 
assisting in search and rescue efforts.  The Jordanian 
private sector has also responded with various small-scale 
efforts such as financial contributions.  The most 
significant of these is the Zain-Jordan telecommunications 
company, which offered free long distance calls to and from 
Haiti for anyone involved in the relief effort, including the 
families of the 800 security forces stationed there. 
 
Jordan's International Peacekeeping and Police Presence 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶6.  (U)  Jordan is the UN's fourth largest contributor of 
troops to peacekeeping operations, and the largest 
contributor to international police missions.  Jordan has 
nearly 62,000 forces deployed in such missions in 18 conflict 
areas, including Sierra Leone, East Timor, Congo, Haiti, 
Sudan, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Angola, and Kosovo.  Jordan's 
contribution to UN peacekeeping missions began in 1989 in 
Angola. 
 
Jordan to Maintain PKO Presence Despite Losses 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶7.  (U)  Three military peacekeepers from the Jordanian Armed 
Forces (JAF) were killed while working in the UN building in 
Port-au-Prince that collapsed in the earthquake.  An 
additional 23 peacekeepers were injured in various locations 
throughout the city. 
 
¶8.  (U)  In October 2009, five Jordanian peacekeepers were 
killed, also in Haiti, when their UN plane crashed during a 
mission.  On January 5, 2010, a Jordanian peacekeeper died 
while on assignment in the Ivory Coast  These losses bring to 
nine the number deaths by Jordanian forces in international 
peacekeeping and police missions in the last three months. 
 
¶9.  (U)  Despite these losses, Jordan's Minister of 
Communications and Government Spokesperson Nabil Sharif 
issued a statement on January 13 saying Jordan remains 
committed to continuing "to offer humanitarian and relief aid 
to conflict-ridden countries and those suffering from 
disastrous events." 
Beecroft