JORDANIAN READOUT ON DAMASCUS FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007225

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2013
TAGS: PREL IZ SY JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN READOUT ON DAMASCUS FOREIGN MINISTER
MEETING: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING


Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher
described the foreign ministerial in Damascus in Iraq as
unimportant, and faulted Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari's
rejection of an 11th hour invitation as a mistake. Muasher
said that Zebari would be in included in all such future
meetings. End Summary.


2. (C) Following a series of weekend phone calls with
Jordanian FM Muasher, who was seeking our assistance in
convincing Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari to come to
Syria, the Ambassador met November 3 with Muasher to obtain a
readout on the Damascus meeting of foreign ministers on Iraq.
Muasher replied that while it was clear that the Syrians did
not want Zebari to participate in all the proceedings, all
other countries in attendance supported (though to varying
degrees) full inclusion of the Iraqi throughout the entire
event. Although Zebari's invitation had not been "properly
handled," Muasher said that Zebari had made a big mistake in
not attending. Specifically, Muasher stated that because the
foreign ministers had taken an "extra step" by postponing the
start of the meeting to allow Zebari time to arrive, his
refusal to come "left a bitter taste in some mouths."


3. (C) When asked what had been the real purpose of
convening the gathering, Muasher smiled and said it was
simply a chance for the Syrians to "promote themselves."
Regarding the meeting's outcome, Muasher offered that "there
isn't much to say," noting that the ministerial communiqu
was quite "mild" and that some important subjects, most
notably the deployment of Turkish and/or Arab troops to Iraq,
had not even been discussed. The real benefit of the
meeting, Muasher concluded, was that it established a firm
precedent for the inclusion of the Iraqi Foreign Minister in
all such future events.


4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.

Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman or access the site
through the State Department's SIPRNET home page.
GNEHM