Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06AMMAN6179
2006-08-14 12:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

KING PHONES SINIORA, BACKS GOL

Tags:  PREL IS LE JO 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0059
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #6179 2261242
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 141242Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3171
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006179 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016
TAGS: PREL IS LE JO
SUBJECT: KING PHONES SINIORA, BACKS GOL

REF: AMMAN 6151

Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006179

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2016
TAGS: PREL IS LE JO
SUBJECT: KING PHONES SINIORA, BACKS GOL

REF: AMMAN 6151

Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Jordan's official news agency reported that King
Abdullah telephoned Lebanese PM Siniora August 13 to
"reaffirm Jordan's support for Lebanon's position on UNSCR
1701." The King reportedly assured Siniora that Jordan
would continue working with Arab and other governments to
"ensure the full implementation of the resolution." He also
committed Jordan to further humanitarian aid to Lebanon.



2. (SBU) The King's August 13 statement is more positive
than some of Prime Minister Bakhit's recent comments. On
August 12 Bakhit grudgingly acknowledged the resolution as a
"first step." Several Jordanian dailies reported the same
day that an unidentified senior GOJ official briefed
reporters "off the record" that the GOJ should consider
options for expressing its opposition to Israeli actions, up
to and including the withdrawal of Jordan's Ambassador from
Tel Aviv. He also said it was no longer desirable to the
U.S. be "the sole mediator" (sic) in the Middle East. A
columnist in the populist daily Al-Arab Al-Yowm claimed that
Bakhit was the official. These statements reflect the
widening gap between Palace and government, including on
foreign policy issues.


3. (C) Comment: Bakhit and FM Khatib have advocated within
the GOJ for a public posture closer to Jordanian public
opinion, where calls to downgrade ties with Israel were
growing louder with each day of conflict between Israel and
Lebanon. King Abdullah had pulled the GOJ position away from
the street's, leading some in the establishment to worry that
the King's own popularity was in free fall as a result.


Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/


Hale