Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08RABAT272
2008-03-28 09:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:
MOROCCAN MFA OFFICIAL CITES RISK OF UNDERMINING
how-toVZCZCXRO7128 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHRB #0272 0880932 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 280932Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY RABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8318 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 3985
C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000272
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2018
TAGS: PREL AL LE MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCAN MFA OFFICIAL CITES RISK OF UNDERMINING
THE ARAB SUMMIT.
Classified By: Classified by Polcouns Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000272
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2018
TAGS: PREL AL LE MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCAN MFA OFFICIAL CITES RISK OF UNDERMINING
THE ARAB SUMMIT.
Classified By: Classified by Polcouns Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)
1. (C) A senior MFA official told Polcouns March 26 that
Morocco was still uncertain about its attendance at the Arab
Summit and that this would be discussed by Foreign Minister
Fassi Fihri, at that time enroute to Damascus, with his
peers. Reminded of USG concerns about attendance at the
summit, and sympathetic with our point of view regarding
Syrian behavior in general, and specifically in Lebanon, he
shared his strictly personal view that a boycott could cause
more problems than it solved.
2. (C) Our interlocutor recalled that Arab summits have only
been an annual affair since 2002. Before that they were
often many years in scheduling for both political and
practical reasons. Now they have been in some way routinized
and rotated on an alphabetically-determined annual schedule.
He believed that a truly successful boycott now could have
positive short term effects, specifically on pressuring the
Syrians on Lebanon. However, he ventured that the
longer-term consequences would be negative, in terms of
destroying the tradition of the regular summit. Who could
prevent then a major boycott of the next Summit for a
strictly Arab political reason, or the next? This could have
serious consequences, even for Lebanon, given the League's
current and potential role there. Even more important, it
could give naysayers the precedent to avoid a League meeting
that could be the format for Arab endorsement of a potential
Middle East peace settlement.
3. (C) Comment: This view of the broader regional issue is
forwarded as providing an interesting perspective, different
from what the Moroccans might say in a more formal response.
Our contact, who insisted on anonymity, may nonetheless have
been trying to justify a potentially higher-profile Moroccan
presence in Damascus than what one would expect as a result
of the more customary GOM logic of following the Saudis.
Regardless, we will press them to say the right things on
Lebanon in Damascus. End Comment.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Riley
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO NEA/MAG
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2018
TAGS: PREL AL LE MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCAN MFA OFFICIAL CITES RISK OF UNDERMINING
THE ARAB SUMMIT.
Classified By: Classified by Polcouns Craig Karp for reasons 1.4 (b) an
d (d)
1. (C) A senior MFA official told Polcouns March 26 that
Morocco was still uncertain about its attendance at the Arab
Summit and that this would be discussed by Foreign Minister
Fassi Fihri, at that time enroute to Damascus, with his
peers. Reminded of USG concerns about attendance at the
summit, and sympathetic with our point of view regarding
Syrian behavior in general, and specifically in Lebanon, he
shared his strictly personal view that a boycott could cause
more problems than it solved.
2. (C) Our interlocutor recalled that Arab summits have only
been an annual affair since 2002. Before that they were
often many years in scheduling for both political and
practical reasons. Now they have been in some way routinized
and rotated on an alphabetically-determined annual schedule.
He believed that a truly successful boycott now could have
positive short term effects, specifically on pressuring the
Syrians on Lebanon. However, he ventured that the
longer-term consequences would be negative, in terms of
destroying the tradition of the regular summit. Who could
prevent then a major boycott of the next Summit for a
strictly Arab political reason, or the next? This could have
serious consequences, even for Lebanon, given the League's
current and potential role there. Even more important, it
could give naysayers the precedent to avoid a League meeting
that could be the format for Arab endorsement of a potential
Middle East peace settlement.
3. (C) Comment: This view of the broader regional issue is
forwarded as providing an interesting perspective, different
from what the Moroccans might say in a more formal response.
Our contact, who insisted on anonymity, may nonetheless have
been trying to justify a potentially higher-profile Moroccan
presence in Damascus than what one would expect as a result
of the more customary GOM logic of following the Saudis.
Regardless, we will press them to say the right things on
Lebanon in Damascus. End Comment.
*****************************************
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat
*****************************************
Riley