Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04AMMAN4238
2004-05-27 13:23:00
SECRET
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

FONMIN MUASHER ON REGIONAL REFORM, ARAB LEAGUE

Tags:  PREL PHUM PGOV KDEM JO 
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This 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 SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004238 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KDEM JO
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER ON REGIONAL REFORM, ARAB LEAGUE
SUMMIT RESULTS, ARAFAT AND SECURITY ISSUES


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

-------
SUMMARY
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004238

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2014
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV KDEM JO
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER ON REGIONAL REFORM, ARAB LEAGUE
SUMMIT RESULTS, ARAFAT AND SECURITY ISSUES


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

--------------
SUMMARY
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1. (C) FonMin Muasher expressed pleasure May 26 with the
results of the Tunis Arab League summit on the subjects of
Arab League reform, Iraq, the Middle East peace process, and
regional reform. He said the reform resolution is a good
basis for a dialogue between the G-8 and Arab states on
reform. He cautioned, however, that there is a strong Arab
consensus against participation in proposed forums with the
G-8 if the geographic range of our reform initiative extended
beyond the Arab world. He said that President Mubarak had
pledged to put greater pressure on Arafat to take firm
security steps, claiming also that the Egyptians believe
HAMAS is willing to make a deal with Egypt and the PA. END
SUMMARY.

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TUNIS ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT: "WE GOT ALL WE WANTED"
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2. (C) Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher told the Ambassador
and PolCouns May 26 that Jordan had gotten "all that we
wanted" from the Tunis Arab League (AL) summit on the
subjects of AL reform, Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, and regional reform. The Tunisians, he commented,
had been heavy-handed in limiting discussion on and ensuring
passage of the progressive draft resolutions, "but I liked
their heavy-handedness this time." On AL reform, heads of
state had refrained from fully approving the "covenant"
proposed by Saudi Arabia, but foreign ministers initialed the
document, approving it for distribution to members for final
discussion and approval at next year's summit. Some of the
specific AL reforms -- including adoption of AL resolutions
by majority vote instead of consensus -- will be discussed at
the ministerial level within the next three months to set the
stage for final adoption next year. On Iraq, Muasher argued,
the summit resolution was positive. For the first time, Arab
governments are on the record as prepared to cooperate with
and support a role for the UN and a peaceful transition. The
summit created a committee of the "troika" -- the past,

present, and future summit chairs -- to follow up on Iraq
issues with the UN.


3. (C) On the MEPP, Muasher said that there were three
important new elements. First, the summit called for a
reciprocal cease-fire, the first time, he claimed, that the
AL included a clear call for an end to all violence. Second,
the summit's final communique condemned all violence targeted
against civilians. PA Chairman Arafat, Muasher commented,
exerted a positive influence on this statement, calling for
the summit to adopt such language in his video address to the
group. Third, the summit appointed a ministerial committee
to "market" the Beirut Summit initiative.

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REGIONAL REFORM MEANS THE ARAB WORLD, NOT AFGHANISTAN
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4. (C) On regional reform, Muasher said the summit adopted
the resolution of reform principles that had been worked out
at the AL ministerial meeting in Cairo "without changing a
single word." This document sets the stage for the G-8 to
work with the Arab world on reform, Muasher argued. The only
remaining contentious issue is the geographical scope of the
reform initiative. There was a strong consensus in Tunis
that the reform dialogue include only the Arab world -- not
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, or Turkey. Noting that G-8
Summit formulations have referred to dialogue with "the
region," Muasher said "the region, for us, is the Arab
world." The G-8 can conduct a reform dialogue separately
with non-Arab states, he said, but the message from the Arab
summit was that "there will not be (Arab) participation in a
forum that includes Afghanistan" and other non-Arab
governments.

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EGYPT TO PRESS ARAFAT ON SECURITY
--------------


5. (S) Muasher said that, in his meeting with King Abdullah
on the margins of the Tunis summit, Egyptian President
Mubarak said Egyptian Intelligence Director Omar Soliman
would "be tough on Arafat" and try to convince him to permit
the PA to take concrete security actions. Soliman, Muasher
continued, believes that HAMAS is under great pressure and
might be ready now to strike a deal with Egypt and the PA on
a cease-fire. Egypt promised to continue to try to broker
such a deal, Muasher claimed.

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


6. (C) Muasher commented that despite the positive
substantive outcome of the summit, the atmospherics had not
been good: "it is getting harder and harder to meet." In
what is becoming a mantra, Muasher noted that Syria and
Lebanon had been obstructionist and were isolated from the
other Arab states on most issues. He said, for example, that
at the 11th hour the Lebanese, acting for the Syrians, tabled
a completely new draft resolution on the MEPP. The other
delegations were unanimous in rejecting it.


7. (C) Muasher was pleased that the passage of the summit
resolution on reform principles gives the G-8 an Arab
document to use as the basis for its reform dialogue.
However, he emphasized that there was a strong consensus
among Arab leaders in Tunis that this G-8 reform dialogue
should include only Arab countries, warning that many Arab
states would not participate if the dialogue included
non-Arab states as well.


8. (U) Kabul and CPA Baghdad minimize considered.

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GNEHM