S E C R E T AMMAN 005237

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2012
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KPAL ASEC PTER
SUBJECT: IRAQ: JORDANIAN REACTION TO POINTS ON PRESIDENT'S
UNGA SPEECH

REF: STATE 175469

Classified By: A/DCM Douglas A. Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (C) In the absence of FonMin Muasher (who is leading the
Jordanian delegation to the UNGA in New York), A/DCM
delivered ref points to Muasher's personal assistant, Ali
al-Ayed September 12. A/DCM urged that the GOJ express
public support for the President's themes, as well as the
GOJ's willingness to engage in further consultations on Iraq.



2. (S) Al-Ayed said Jordanians are concerned about the
President's remarks and what they will mean for Jordan. He
was pleased to see from the President's themes that the U.S.
appears to be taking a multilateral and scrupulously legal
approach to Iraq's non-compliance with UNSCRs and will take
its case to the Security Council. Al-Ayed said that the GOJ
had recently reiterated to senior Iraqi visitors (VP Ramadan
as well as the Iraqi Trade and Information ministers) the
need for Iraq to abide by all UNSCRs and permit the return of
UN arms inspectors.


3. (S) However, he continued, some of the points in the
speech, while true, will have little resonance with the
Jordanian public. For example, the statement that Iraq has
consistently defied the UN is equally true of ISRAEL, and
Jordanians will see a U.S. push for action against Iraq as
further evidence of the perceived bias of U.S. policy in the
region. Finally, he said, even though the U.S. is pledging
to take its case against Iraq to the UNSC, the mention of
"unavoidable action" in the final point seems to indicate
that the U.S. remains convinced of the need to conduct
military action against Iraq.
BERRY