SYRIANS SEE SOUR GRAPES IN JORDANIAN ACCUSATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 001913 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2016 TAGS: PREL KPAL SY JO SUBJECT: SYRIANS SEE SOUR GRAPES IN JORDANIAN ACCUSATIONS Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche ¶1. (U) The SARG on April 26 publicly rejected Jordanian accusations that arms were smuggled from Syria to Jordan or that a senior Hamas official was behind such an operation, according to the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). According to SANA, "Hamas leaders based in Syria are political figures carrying out pure political and information missions and are committed to the Syrian authorities' stand which doesn't permit any military activity on its territory." ¶2. (U) Some Syrians believe the accusations stem from Jordanian pique over the SARG's announcement last week that it would offer refuge to a a number of Iraqi Palestinians stranded on the Iraqi-Jordanian border. That decision "was a consolidation of Syria's pan-Arab convictions and inclinations," away from the international imbalance that proceeds from the American-Israeli alliance, according to an April 25 article in the official Al-Thawra newspaper. The Palestinian people "expressed their admiration and appreciation" for the Syrian support and "called for similar Arab positions and courage in the approach toward the Palestinian just rights and legitimate demands," according to the same article. ¶3. (C) Others say the Jordanian accusations and the Syrian response reflect the larger issue of the lack of trust that has developed over the last few years between Syrian President Bashar al-Asad and Jordan's King Abdullah II. In addition, the Hashemite Kingdom sees itself as the keeper of the keys to Mecca and the defender of Sunni Islam, said a Syrian-American professor of international relations. Jordan is worried about the Shiite crescent of Iran, Syria and Lebanon, and about Syria's growing relationship with Iran, the professor said. ¶4. (C) Comment: Jordan's accusations and the SARG's response are the latest round of verbal sparring between the two countries. It was preceded by Asad's March 4 speech before the General Congress of Arab Parties when he implicitly criticized Jordan for pursuing national versus Arab interests. We suspect the Jordanians are also angry at perceived failures by the SARG intelligence services to act aggressively against suspected terrorist plotting in Syria against Jordan. The Syrians seem to have spotted an opportunity to score a few easy points against their Hashemite neighbors by receiving Palestinians stuck at the Jordanian-Iraqi border, showing themselves in the presence of Hamas FM Zahar, who visited last week, to be generous, pro-Palestinian and pan-Arab. Of course, as our contacts point out, the Jordanians, like their Sunni brethren in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are also deeply worried and irritated over the deepening alliance between Syria and Iran. SECHE