Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN1264
2003-03-03 15:28:00
SECRET
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
FONMIN MUASHER: ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT AVOIDS A SPLIT
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T AMMAN 001264
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2013
TAGS: PREL AL SA EG IZ JO
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER: ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT AVOIDS A SPLIT
ON IRAQ, BUT DOES LITTLE ELSE
REF: A. STATE 49625
B. CAIRO 1751
C. CAIRO 1752
Classified By: A/DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)
----------------------------------
SHARM AL-SHEIKH SUMMIT DOES LITTLE
----------------------------------
S E C R E T AMMAN 001264
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2013
TAGS: PREL AL SA EG IZ JO
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER: ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT AVOIDS A SPLIT
ON IRAQ, BUT DOES LITTLE ELSE
REF: A. STATE 49625
B. CAIRO 1751
C. CAIRO 1752
Classified By: A/DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)
--------------
SHARM AL-SHEIKH SUMMIT DOES LITTLE
--------------
1. (S) Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher told Ambassador and
A/DCM March 2 that he was "perplexed" by Egyptian behavior in
calling for an extraordinary summit, then not injecting any
new content or energy. He said the Egyptians were totally
passive. The Sharm al-Sheikh Summit, he said, had the
potential to "split the Arab League," but heads of state had
decided not to let that happen. Syrian President Bashar
al-Asad, he commented, was "playing to the Arab street and
completely supported Iraq" throughout the discussions.
Jordan, he said, had played "a crucial role in watering down
the language of the communique."
2. (S) Responding to the Ambassador's question about the
UAE's suggestion that Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi leadership
resign to prevent a war, Muasher said that the suggestion
"just came out of the blue," was circulated only as a written
text, and provoked no serious discussion. However, he
commented that members of the Iraqi and UAE delegations
exchanged heated words outside the plenary session.
--------------
DRAFT UNSCR ON IRAQ
--------------
3. (S) The Ambassador gave Muasher a copy of the
US/UK/Spanish draft UNSCR on Iraq and outlined the U.S.
rationale for introducing the resolution. Muasher asked
whether the U.S. planned to call for a vote on the resolution
even if the U.S. determined that the draft resolution would
not receive nine votes or would be vetoed. The Ambassador
responded that the U.S. was hopeful that it could secure the
votes necessary to pass the resolution. Muasher said his
appraisal was that there were not nine votes for a new
resolution.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
4. (S) In a conversation before the Summit last week, King
Abdullah told the Ambassador that he really did not want to
go to the Summit because he felt it would be divisive and
nothing good was likely to come out of it. Muasher's
description of the wrangling and divisions at Sharm al-Sheikh
seem to confirm that the King's fears were well founded.
GNEHM
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2013
TAGS: PREL AL SA EG IZ JO
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER: ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT AVOIDS A SPLIT
ON IRAQ, BUT DOES LITTLE ELSE
REF: A. STATE 49625
B. CAIRO 1751
C. CAIRO 1752
Classified By: A/DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D)
--------------
SHARM AL-SHEIKH SUMMIT DOES LITTLE
--------------
1. (S) Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher told Ambassador and
A/DCM March 2 that he was "perplexed" by Egyptian behavior in
calling for an extraordinary summit, then not injecting any
new content or energy. He said the Egyptians were totally
passive. The Sharm al-Sheikh Summit, he said, had the
potential to "split the Arab League," but heads of state had
decided not to let that happen. Syrian President Bashar
al-Asad, he commented, was "playing to the Arab street and
completely supported Iraq" throughout the discussions.
Jordan, he said, had played "a crucial role in watering down
the language of the communique."
2. (S) Responding to the Ambassador's question about the
UAE's suggestion that Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi leadership
resign to prevent a war, Muasher said that the suggestion
"just came out of the blue," was circulated only as a written
text, and provoked no serious discussion. However, he
commented that members of the Iraqi and UAE delegations
exchanged heated words outside the plenary session.
--------------
DRAFT UNSCR ON IRAQ
--------------
3. (S) The Ambassador gave Muasher a copy of the
US/UK/Spanish draft UNSCR on Iraq and outlined the U.S.
rationale for introducing the resolution. Muasher asked
whether the U.S. planned to call for a vote on the resolution
even if the U.S. determined that the draft resolution would
not receive nine votes or would be vetoed. The Ambassador
responded that the U.S. was hopeful that it could secure the
votes necessary to pass the resolution. Muasher said his
appraisal was that there were not nine votes for a new
resolution.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
4. (S) In a conversation before the Summit last week, King
Abdullah told the Ambassador that he really did not want to
go to the Summit because he felt it would be divisive and
nothing good was likely to come out of it. Muasher's
description of the wrangling and divisions at Sharm al-Sheikh
seem to confirm that the King's fears were well founded.
GNEHM