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