DEMARCHE ON POSSIBLE RESCHEDULING OF HIZBALLAH

S E C R E T AMMAN 006735 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2012 TAGS: PREL PTER LE SY IR JO SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON POSSIBLE RESCHEDULING OF HIZBALLAH RESUPPLY FLIGHT DELIVERED REF: (A) STATE 229647 (B) AMMAN 6610 Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm. Reasons 1.5 (b,d). ¶1. (S) Following receipt of ref A demarche request, poloff conveyed points to Ali al-Ayed, personal assistant to FonMin Muasher. Al-Ayed took down the information and promised to share it with the relevant GOJ authorities. He noted, however, that after our last demarche on the subject (ref B), he had discussed the overflight issue with FonMin Muasher and Muasher had reaffirmed Jordan's long-standing position on this issue: i.e. that for "technical reasons" (that the Iranian overflights cross Jordanian airspace for only 3-5 minutes),others in the flight path -- especially the Saudis -- are in a better position to intervene effectively than Jordan. That said, Al-Ayed promised that the GOJ would continue to monitor the situation closely and would notify the Embassy of any Iranian overflight requests they receive. GNEHM