A/S WELCH'S MEETING WITH FM KHATIB

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 008557

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2016
TAGS: PREL KPAL ELAB IS SY IR JO
SUBJECT: A/S WELCH'S MEETING WITH FM KHATIB

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR DAVID HALE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: FM KHATIB RECEIVED SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS'
BRIEFINGS ON BADR BRIGADE DEVELOPMENTS. HE EXPRESSED CONCERN
FOR LEBANON'S STABILITY AND FOR SINIORA PERSONALLY. THE FM
REAFFIRMED THE GOJ'S COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING CONDITIONS OF
FOREIGN LABORERS, ESPECIALLY IN JORDAN'S QUALIFYING
INDUSTRIAL ZONES. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NEA DAVID WELCH,
JOINED BY DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL
SECURITY AFFAIRS, US SECURITY COORDINATOR LT. GEN KEITH
DAYTON, AND AMBASSADOR MET NOVEMBER 16 WITH FOREIGN MINISTER
ABDELELLAH AL-KHATIB. JORDANIAN AND AMERICAN NOTETAKERS ALSO
ATTENDED.

HAMAS AND THE PA
--------------


3. (C) WELCH PROVIDED KHATIB WITH READOUTS ON HIS RECENT
CONTACTS WITH EGYPTIAN, ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS,
AND ON PM OLMERT'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON. KHATIB RECIPROCATED
WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE PREVIOUS DAY'S ARAB LEAGUE DISCUSSIONS
IN CAIRO. HE DISMISSED THE AL'S CALL FOR ARAB STATES TO HELP
THE HAMAS-CONTROLLED ELEMENTS OF THE PA EVADE FINANCIAL
SANCTIONS. JORDAN WOULD NOT CHANGE ITS POSITION, AND HE
BELIEVED NO OTHER ARAB STATES WOULD EITHER - AND, MORE
IMPORTANTLY, BANKS WOULD CONTINUE TO REFRAIN FROM ACTIONS
THAT MIGHT JEOPARDIZE THEIR GLOBAL OPERATIONS.


4. (C) KHATIB SAID HE FOUND "INTERESTING" PA PRIME MINISTER
HANIYEH'S RECENT REMARKS ATTEMPTING TO DRAW A DISTINCTION
BETWEEN THE POSITIONS OF HAMAS AS A MOVEMENT AND THOSE OF THE
HAMAS-LED CABINET. WELCH AND ABRAMS EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM
THAT THE COMMENTS WERE ANYTHING MORE THAN AN ATTEMPT TO
OBSTRUCT FORMATION OF A NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT THAT MET
QUARTET CONDITIONS.

BADR BRIGADE
--------------


5. (C) KHATIB ASKED ABOUT THE BADR BRIGADE, AND EXPRESSED
CONCERN THAT IT MIGHT BE PERCEIVED AS A JORDANIAN FORCE.
GENERAL DAYTON REPLIED THAT THE ISRAELIS, AND THE
PALESTINIANS WHO MATTERED, UNDERSTOOD IT WAS PALESTINIAN, AND
THAT IT ANSWERED TO ABU MAZEN. RATHER THAN THE UNIT'S
IDENTITY, THE PROBLEMS WERE THE NEED FOR:

--PROMPT RESUMPTION OF SALARIES FOR BADR PERSONNEL;
--A GOOD PLAN FOR DEPLOYMENT;
--BRINGING AN ADVANCE PARTY OF BADR LEADERS TO GAZA FOR
ORIENTATION AND CONTACT WORK;
-- MORE EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING


6. (C) DAYTON SAID PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE ON ALL THESE
POINTS, AND WOULD BE FURTHER ADDRESSED AT OTHER MEETINGS WITH
JORDANIAN AND PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS (SEPTEL). HE WOULD NOT
AGREE TO THE UNITS DEPLOYMENT UNTIL IN HIS PROFESSIONAL
MILITARY JUDGMENT IT WAS READY; HE WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT IF THE
PROBLEMS WERE ADDRESSED - ESPECIALLY FUNDING -- HE COULD GIVE
IT A "GO" IN AS LITTLE AS TWO MONTHS.


7. (C) RESPONDING TO KHATIB'S COMMENTS ON MEDIA SPECULATION
IN THE REGION THAT MAJOR SHIFTS IN U.S POLICIES TOWARD SYRIA
AND IRAN WERE COMING, ABRAMS ASSURED KHATIB THAT EVEN AFTER
THE RECENT MID-TERM ELECTIONS, THE BASIC U.S. APPROACH TOWARD
THESE TWO GOVERNMENTS RETAINED BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. WELCOMING
THIS POINT, KHATIB TURNED NEXT TO LEBANON, COMMENTING THAT
THE SITUATION WAS NOW BECOMING "SERIOUS" AS THE PARTIES
POSITIONED THEMSELVES FOR A POSSIBLE SHOWDOWN IN REACTION TO
BRAEMERT'S NEXT MOVES. "WE NEED TO SUPPORT SINIORA; HE IS A
TARGET." ABRAMS AGREED, AND STRESSED THAT THE U.S. WAS
INTERESTED IN "NO DEALS" ON THIS ISSUE WITH SYRIA. "BRAEMERT
FINDS WHAT HE FINDS."

LABOR ISSUES
--------------


8. (SBU) ABRAMS PRAISED THE GOJ FOR ITS EFFORTS TO ADDRESS
REPORTS OF LABOR ABUSES IN ITS QUALIFYING INDUSTRIAL ZONES.
NOTING THAT BOTH THE ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS WOULD
CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE, HE ENCOURAGED THE
GOJ TO CONTINUE WORKING TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE
AMBASSADOR ADDED THAT THE GOJ NEEDED TO PROSECUTE VIOLATORS
AND PASS NEW LABOR LEGISLATION. KHATIB AGREED. HE REVIEWED
THE RECENT VISIT TO WASHINGTON OF MINISTER OF LABOR ZU'BI,
AND REPORTED THAT JORDANIAN PROSECUTORS HAD RECENTLY BEGUN
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST EMPLOYERS IN FIVE CASES.


9. (U) A/S WELCH CLEARED ON THIS MESSAGE.

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HALE