JORDAN: IRAQI CONSTITUTION COMPROMISE DEMARCHE

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 008169

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015
TAGS: PREL IZ JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: IRAQI CONSTITUTION COMPROMISE DEMARCHE
DELIVERED

REF: A. STATE 188987


B. AMMAN 08093

Classified By: DCM Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Polcouns delivered ref A demarche October 13 to Dimi
Haddad, chief of Foreign Minister Kasrawi's private office;
the FM is currently abroad with King Abdullah. Haddad
confirmed that the GOJ public line on the referendum
paralleled ours, and said the GOJ would continue privately
encouraging its Iraqi contacts to engage in the political
process. Haddad, who was Jordanian Charge d'Affaires in
Baghdad until last month, thought that it would be difficult
for opponents of the constitution to achieve a two-thirds
majority in three provinces because the Sunnis are not well
organized, and many Sunni Arab opponents of the constitution
- especially in Ninevah province - believe a boycott is the
best way to achieve their goals.


2. (U) In an October 9 interview ref B with Al-Rai, the
leading semi-official Arabic-language daily, King Abdullah
spoke positively about Iraqi Constitution and the recent
changes made to it, and called for Iraqis to participate in
the political process and build their country.
HALE