Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DAMASCUS1913
2006-04-26 14:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

SYRIANS SEE SOUR GRAPES IN JORDANIAN ACCUSATIONS

Tags:  PREL KPAL SY JO 
pdf how-to read a cable
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OO RUEHAG
DE RUEHDM #1913 1161400
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 261400Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8582
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0026
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
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

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