GOJ REITERATES IMPORTANCE OF U.S. TIES IN WAKE OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003209

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2014
TAGS: PREL ECON US IS IZ JO
SUBJECT: GOJ REITERATES IMPORTANCE OF U.S. TIES IN WAKE OF
POSTPONEMENT OF KING'S WASHINGTON VISIT

REF: AMMAN 3148

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

--------------
PROTECTING U.S.-JORDAN RELATIONS
--------------


1. (C) In a meeting with the Ambassador and PolCouns April
25, Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher said that King Abdullah
wants to make sure the USG knows that he wants to visit
Washington, and that the postponement of his April 21 meeting
with the President was not in any way meant to damage
U.S.-Jordan relations. Muasher said he had received
"numerous" phone calls from prominent Jordanians -- many from
the business community, and many not normally pro-American --
reminding him of the importance of maintaining good bilateral
ties. Muasher said both he and the King understand and
appreciate this point very well, and that Deputy Prime
Minister Mohammed Halaiqa's April 22 press statement (see
below) was meant to address the concerns of those who fear
slippage of bilateral ties. GID Director Saad Kheir made
this same point in a separate meeting with the Ambassador on
April 25, and he and Muasher also mentioned that the GOJ was
making extraordinary efforts to keep negative press
commentary on the U.S. to a minimum. (Comment: While
editorial comment may have been tempered somewhat, the press
continued to portray the U.S. as being in lockstep with
Sharon and pursuing oppressive military action in Iraq. End
Comment.)


2. (C) In fact, since the postponement of the King's
Washington stop, senior Jordanian government officials have
emphasized in public the importance of U.S.-Jordanian ties.
For example, Muasher in his press walk-out with the Secretary
in Washington April 20 said that "Jordan has no problems with
the U.S. and we continue to work with it very closely." As
Muasher mentioned to the Ambassador, Deputy PM Halaiqa told
the press in Amman April 22 that "the U.S. and Jordan enjoy
solid relations politically, economically, militarily, and in
the realm of counterterrorism." Halaiqa's statement also
emphasized the importance of U.S.-Jordan economic ties,
proposed a June date for the bilateral Joint Commission
meeting, and repeated earlier pronouncements that the
postponement of the King's Washington visit will not affect
bilateral relations. (Interestingly, this statement was
carried prominently in the Arabic press, but not in the
English press).

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


3. (C) As we noted in reftel, the postponement of the
King's Washington visit and statements from GOJ officials on
the need for "clarification" of the U.S. position calmed the
local popular and media reaction to the Bush-Sharon exchange
on Gaza disengagement and the Israeli killing of HAMAS leader
Rantissi. The more recent positive statements about
U.S.-Jordan relations are intended to protect Jordan's other
flank and reassure those in the Jordanian government and
elite who want to see the continuation of strong bilateral
ties.

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