TFLE01: DEMARCHE ON MIDDLE EAST RESOLUTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005269 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016 TAGS: PREL MOPS KPAL KWBG IS JO SUBJECT: TFLE01: DEMARCHE ON MIDDLE EAST RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 114595 ¶B. AMMAN 5250 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. ( C ) Ambassador, along with visiting A/S Welch and DAPNSA Abrams, made ref A points July 12 to FM Khatib, intelligence chief Dhahabi, the Director of the King,s Office Bassem Awadallah, and government spokesman Nasser Judeh (ref B and septel.) The GOJ officials agreed that the vote on the Qatari UNSC draft resolution should be delayed, and were more interested in action to end the crisis than in a pointless debate in New York. ¶2. ( U ) Jordan,s official news agency Petra, reporting on a July 12 telephone conversation between King Abdullah and President Mubarak, said the two &affirmed the importance of making efforts to end the escalation that would complicate the situation, increase the violence and reduce the chances of achieving peace in the region.8 After an emergency cabinet session the same day, a cabinet press release reported that the government, led by King Abdullah, was intensifying contacts to forge an Arab position to stop &this dangerous escalation.8 The statement, however, also referred &the use of force by Israel, which targets unarmed civilians, and the resultant loss of life and destruction of civilian facilities and institutions.8 ¶3. ( C ) The Palace informed Ambassador that King Abdullah will meet with Saad Hariri July 13 in Aqaba, and is making arrangements to meet with Mubarak in Egypt July 14. In private, Jordanian officials are focused on the need to pressure Syria, and on how to release the kidnapped soldiers and to thwart the wider threat that Iran poses to the region (septels.) Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ Hale