REGENT TELLS STAFFDEL GROVE: NEED UNITED FRONT

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003242

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2017
TAGS: PREL PREF JO KPAL IS IZ IR
SUBJECT: REGENT TELLS STAFFDEL GROVE: NEED UNITED FRONT
AGAINST IRAN

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


1. (C) Summary: Jordan's Regent stressed to STAFFDEL Grove
the need for urgent movement toward a two-state solution to
the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in order to enable a united
front against Iran to emerge. Discussions with interlocutors
during the STAFFDEL's visit also focused on U.S. financial
support for Jordan, Iraqis in Jordan, and Jordan's border
security requirements, particularly in the event of any U.S.
policy change in Iraq. End summary.


2. (SBU) The STAFFDEL, consisting of Mr. Paul Grove, Minority
Clerk, Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriation
Committee, Ms. Kate Eltrich, committee Majority Staff Member,
Ms. Michele Gordon, committee Minority Staff Member, and Ms.
Cindy Chang, from the Bureau of Legislative Affairs, held
discussions July 20 and 21 with Jordan's Regent, the Minister
of Education, and several agencies working on Iraqi and
Palestinian refugee issues.

Iraq Surge Helps, But Political Solution Needed
-------------- --


3. (C) Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, King Abdullah's brother
and Special Advisor to Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces who
was Regent during the STAFFDEL's visit (King Abdullah was
traveling),expressed his view that the military surge in
Iraq will help stabilize the situation but that, ultimately,
the solution could only come through a political solution
between the Iraqi factions. He was not optimistic that PM
Nouri Al-Maliki could change Iraq's internal political
relationships for the better, arguing that the Maliki
government should be more inclusive and, in reference to
Iraq's Sunnis, was not doing enough to show equal concern for
all groups. The Regent stressed that more work was needed on
the political side and less on military/security training.


4. (C) Prince Faisal told the STAFFDEL that Iraq represented
part of an historical challenge in which Persians are pitted
against Arabs. He saw the conflict as one uniting the Shia
and Iran-supported players in the region: Iraq, Hamas in
Gaza, and Lebanon's Hizbollah, with support from Qatar (which
he accused of sending weapons to Hamas) and Syria (a
supporter of Hamas' Khaled Mish'al). Faisal argued that the
best way to confront this alignment was to address the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, thus taking away one of Iran's
major cards and forcing a change in regional dynamics.


5. (C) Faisal said, "you fear Iran, we fear Iran," and
asserted that Iran was the biggest regional threat, including
to Israel. The "festering issue" of the Palestinian-Israel
conflict, Faisal said, prevented a unified position toward
Iran from the Arabs, Americans and Israelis. Removing this
problem would improve the regional dynamic by strengthening
the Siniora government in Lebanon and forcing Syria to choose
sides: peace with Israel and acceptance back into the Arab
fold - or a continued alliance with Iran and consequent
isolation in the region.

Arabs Want Peace; What Do the Israelis Want?
--------------


6. (C) Prince Faisal touted the Arab Peace Initiative, saying
that it has support not only from Arabs, but also from other
Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and
Turkey. He suggested that the initiative was a greater
Islamic initiative that would offer Israel peace and normal
relations with the entire Arab and Islamic worlds. Faisal
said that the Arabs had made the strategic decision that they
want a peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
According to Prince Faisal, it was now up to the Israelis to
decide, once and for all, if they want "peace in the Middle
East or (only) a piece of the Middle East."

Iraqis in Jordan
--------------


7. (C) The STAFFDEL raised with Prince Faisal the issues of
Iraqis in Jordan and border security. The Prince expressed
his concerns regarding (what he termed) the 800,000 Iraqis in
Jordan, but underlined that the issue was first and foremost
a humanitarian one. He noted that while 99 per cent of
Iraqis in Jordan were seeking a safe haven, the remaining one
per cent could include Iran-backed infiltrators and other
destabilizing elements.


8. (C) The Prince thanked the STAFFDEL for America's
financial support to Jordan. Grove expressed his interest in
increasing that support, and urged the Jordanian leadership
to tell its friends in the Administration and in the Congress
to support additional assistance for Jordan, particularly
when considering what might happen in the next six to 12
months in Iraq and potential changes in U.S. policy there.

The STAFFDEL focused on how possible American policy changes
might impact Jordan in the number of Iraqis in Jordan and in
Jordan's critical border security needs -- both of which
could be addressed by further increases in ESF and FMF to
Jordan.

Iraqi Children Will Go to School
--------------


9. (C) The STAFFDEL also met with several agencies working
with refugees in Jordan, including UNRWA, UNHCR and IOM.
With UNRWA the STAFFDEL discussed Palestinian refugees and
their future in the event of a solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meetings with UNHCR and IOM
focused on Iraqis in Jordan, and the need to plan for future
Iraq scenarios. In a frank and open discussion, the STAFFDEL
heard directly from Jordan's Minister of Education Khalid
Touqan that Iraqi children will be able to enroll in schools
in August if they and their parents fill out Ministry
registration forms, even if they do not have valid residency
permits. NOTE: Touqan's statement reaffirmed what the GOJ
had previously told Emboffs privately, and which was
subsequently announced to the public. END NOTE. Regarding
U.S. financial assistance to Jordan in the field of education
for Iraqi or Jordanian children, the Minister lauded USAID
efforts in educational reform and USAID assistance, and
encouraged future aid through USAID rather than UNHCR.


10. (U) Mr. Grove cleared this message.

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


Hale