JORDAN SUPPORTS IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL, TRYING TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004733 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2013 TAGS: PREL AL IZ JO SUBJECT: JORDAN SUPPORTS IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL, TRYING TO GAUGE OTHER ARAB SUPPORT REF: A. STATE 215824 ¶B. AMMAN 4361 Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B)(D) ¶1. (C) PolCouns on July 28 raised ref a points on supporting the Iraqi Governing Council (GC) with Samer Dabbas, Iraq action officer in FonMin Muasher's Private Office. Dabbas listened carefully to the points, noting especially the comments of UNSYG Annan in support of the GC. He noted that Jordan very strongly supports USG goals in Iraq, and that Jordanian FonMin Muasher made one of the first public statements in support of the GC (ref b). ¶2. (C) Samer said that the MFA has been unable to gauge the support of other Arab states for the GC and their willingness to make supportive statements. He said that Muasher would raise this issue during the upcoming Arab League follow-up committee meeting in Cairo on August 5, and that he would "try to pin down Egypt." He said that "(Syrian President) Bashar (al-Asad) and (AL SecGen Amr) Moussa" have been the blocks to AL endorsement of the GC. He suggested that Bahrain, as the current chair of the Arab League, could also be helpful in getting a positive statement from the Arab League on the GC. GNEHM