JORDAN: BORDER DEMARCATION WITH SYRIA BECOMES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002001 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS MARR JO SUBJECT: JORDAN: BORDER DEMARCATION WITH SYRIA BECOMES MIRED IN REGIONAL POLITICS Classified By: Ambassador R. Steven Beecroft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Summary: Despite a promising border demarcation agreement between Jordan and Syria reached on July 26, the implementation has become mired in rhetoric on regional politics that threatens to derail the effort. Jordan was initially impressed with Syria's flexibility in talks leading to the agreement -- especially in Syria's willingness to address Jordan's most salient security concerns on weapons and narcotics smuggling up front. However, in an icy meeting on August 9, Syrian Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmed Arnous told Jordan Interior Ministry Secretary General Abu Janous Mukhaina that progress had halted because of "the occupied lands," -- a veiled reference to Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights -- and made demands that were not previously discussed. Jordanian officials said the new Syrian position indicated "bad faith" on their part and speculate it is tied to lack of progress on the Trilateral Border Initiative with Iraq and Syria's desire to disrupt Lebanese moves to form a government. End Summary. A Promising Start -------------- ¶2. (S) Following a renewed focus on improving the bilateral relationship between Jordan and Syria this spring, the bi-national Higher Commission on Border Demarcation met in July for the first time since 2005. The meetings led to an agreement that impressed Jordan because it addressed Jordan's most salient security concerns directly in the text, a step the Syrians were unwilling to take in previous discussions. For example, Syria agreed up front to turn over land (in Syrian territory) on which Jordan maintains two border monitoring stations. The stations monitor a high traffic area for weapons and narcotics smuggling from Syria into Jordan. Control of the surrounding land would enhance Jordan's border security detection and enforcement capabilities. Syria also agreed to a land swap of 64 km sq. limited to two key areas -- (1) the far north-west corner of Jordan along the Yarmouk River just east of the Golan Heights called Khirbit Awat, and (2) an area east of the Jaber border crossing where the highest smuggling traffic is seen. ¶3. (S) After the July 26 agreement was made, Foreign Ministry Deputy Chief of Staff Samer Naber commented to POL Off that the newfound flexibility by the Syrians was a welcome and encouraging change. He pointed to a failed attempt at demarcation in 2005 in which the project had become stymied by bureaucratic delays until finally abandoned. The July 26, 2009 agreement, he said at that time, represented a sincere and significant shift in Syria's responsiveness to Jordan's security concerns. Taken together with similar progress made on transportation and customs agreements, Naber said it was clear Syria was looking to make good on its promise to improve economic cooperation with Jordan. An Icy-Stand Off Emerges -------------- ¶4. (S) Foreign Ministry Director for Arab Affairs Muwaffaq Ajlouni told POL Off the demarcation implementation began well, with Jordanian members of the site team quickly offering two small farming areas in the west to Syria. These two areas (now in Jordan) are populated predominantly by Syrian nationals and were offered as a sign to Syria that Jordan understands Syria's economic interests. However, the process quickly stalled when the Syrian site team failed to make similar offers to meet Jordanian security concerns as outlined in the July 26 agreement. As Ajlouni explained, every request from the Jordanian team was referred to Damascus, with no responses forthcoming. ¶5. (S) Senior members of the Higher Commission met on August 9 to discuss the issue. According to Ajlouni, during the icy discussion, Syrian Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmed Arnous told Jordanian Interior Ministry Secretary General Abu Janous Mukhaina that no further progress on demarcation in the west could be made because of "the occupied lands." Arnous also asked Mukhaina to provide Jordanian land ownership records for any Syrian nationals up to 20 kilometers south of the border. Mukhaima reportedly hastily ended the meeting. Reaction to the Syrian Stance AMMAN 00002001 002 OF 002 -------------- ¶6. (S) Ajlouni said the Jordanian members of the Higher Commission found the new Syrian position to be "outrageous" and indicated "bad faith" on their part. The area for demarcation, he said, was not affected by the Golan Heights and Arnous' linking it in this way was "without logic." In addition, the Syrian demand to see land records up to 20 kilometers south of the border was rejected out of hand because it would potentially set a precedent of Syrian access to Jordanian government records. As Ajlouni said, "That would bring the Syrians into the heart of Irbid." ¶7. (S) Ajlouni and Naber said they were surprised by the change in Syrian position following the successful conclusion of demarcation talks in July. Ajlouni relayed that Lebanon is having a similar problem in border discussions with Syria recently. He said Syrian officials are telling the Lebanese that only after the Jordanian border is set will Syria work on its issues with Lebanon, and that Lebanon should put pressure on Jordan. Naber noted that Jordan was also experiencing new difficulties in recent discussions with Syria on water resource sharing, transportation security, and Jordanian detainees in Syrian prisons. ¶8. (S) Ajlouni and Naber speculated that the new Syrian intransigence has more to do with its policies towards Lebanon and Iraq than Jordan. They said the Syrians want to be as disruptive as possible as the Lebanese struggle to form a government. In addition, Syria has been vocal in its disappointment over the lack of progress on the U.S.-Syria-Iraq Trilateral Border Initiative and recently withdrew its Ambassador from Baghdad. Holding up the border demarcation with Jordan, a close U.S. ally, said Ajlouni and Naber, is an opportunity for Syria to flex its muscles and remind neighbors that its regional policies have not changed. Comment -------------- ¶9. (S) Border demarcation has been a perennial sticking point in the relationship between Jordan and Syria. Jordanian officials were optimistic earlier this summer that a way ahead had been found toward improving the relationship -- one in which Jordan would provide economic and trade opportunities in exchange for concessions on its security concerns. In fact, agreements with Syria on border, transportation, and customs issues pointed towards a positive result. However, setbacks in these and other areas now signal a shift backwards from the agenda established by King Abdullah II and President Al Assad in March and April. The most Jordanian officials can offer as explanation at this time is their sense that regional politics have reemerged as a barrier in the bilateral relationship. Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman BEECROFT Beecroft