Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN6261
2003-09-30 13:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN'S AMB. IN SYRIA ON TERRORISM IN IRAQ, HAMAS

Tags:  KPAL LE PGOV PREL PTER SY JO JY 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006261 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013
TAGS: KPAL LE PGOV PREL PTER SY JO JY
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S AMB. IN SYRIA ON TERRORISM IN IRAQ, HAMAS
AND BLACK SEPTEMBER

Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b)(d)

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SUMMARY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006261

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013
TAGS: KPAL LE PGOV PREL PTER SY JO JY
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S AMB. IN SYRIA ON TERRORISM IN IRAQ, HAMAS
AND BLACK SEPTEMBER

Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b)(d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) An Embassy contact outlined for us a recent meeting he
had with Jordan's Ambassador in Syria. The Ambassador
worried about the flow of terrorists from Syria into Iraq,
and pressure he feels to permit old Palestinian fedayeen into
Jordan. End Summary.

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AMB. ARABIAT LINKS SYRIA WITH TERRORISTS ENTERING IRAQ
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2. (C) Issa Michael Matalka, Director for both the Middle
East Forum and the Investigative Project, relayed to us a
conversation with Shaker Arabiat, the Jordanian Ambassador in
Damascus. Matalka met Amb. Arabiat on September 23 and
discussed his views on Iraq and Syria. According to Amb.
Arabiat, the main threat to Iraq comes from its long border
with neighboring Syria. Arabiat believes that members of
terrorist organizations like the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (based in Lebanon and Syria),
Hizballah, and mujahideen from Palestinian camps in both
Lebanon and Syria as well as from Algeria, Sudan and even
Afghanistan are entering Iraq from its porous border with
Syria to conduct terrorist attacks against U.S. forces in
Iraq.

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PALESTINIANS WANT TO COME HOME TO JORDAN
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3. (C) Amb. Arabiat told Matalka that another serious problem
he is facing in Damascus are requests to return to Jordan as
many as 10,000 members of the terrorist group "Black
September" who fought the Jordanian army in 1970 and
eventually fled to Syria. They consider themselves Jordanian
citizens and many now wish to return to Jordan and settle
here with their families. The GOJ considers some to be very
dangerous and responsible for several terrorist attacks in
Jordan and elsewhere in the 70s. Amb. Arabiat said he has
been visited often at the Jordanian Embassy in Damascus by
Hamas Political Bureau president Khalid Mishal and Dr. Musa
Abu Marzouk seeking renewal of their Jordanian passports but
he has refused their requests several times.

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AMB. ARABIAT'S VIEWS ON SYRIA
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4. (C) Amb. Arabiat told Matalka that Syria continues to be
controlled by the "old guard", who still wield the power
under President Bashar Asad. He considers Syria to be a
dangerous, pro-terrorist country, with far to go in its
efforts to change its "sponsor of terrorism" image.

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COMMENT
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5. (C) Matalka has been a periodic but good source of
information on human rights cases. Shaker Arabiat, who we
know well from his service in the Jordanian MFA in Amman, is
a professional and a good analyst. His views on Syria and
Iraq are consistent with those held by the King and his
senior security advisors.
GNEHM