Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DAMASCUS357
2009-05-19 07:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:
JORDANIAN KING ABDULLAH DROPS INTO DAMASCUS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0004 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHDM #0357 1390726 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 190726Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6380 INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 7620 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 5770 RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 3915 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0576 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0545 RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 2403 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0401 RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 1705
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000357
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/IPA, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2019
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, KWBG, IS, JO, SY
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN KING ABDULLAH DROPS INTO DAMASCUS
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4(b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000357
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/IPA, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2019
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, KWBG, IS, JO, SY
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN KING ABDULLAH DROPS INTO DAMASCUS
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4(b,d)
1. (U) This is a corrected copy of Damascus 349 to include
additional addressees.
2. (C) The brief and short-notice May 11 visit of Jordan's
King Abdullah II to Damascus concluded successfully according
to Syrian press and the Jordanian Consul, Anas Oran. Though
King Abdullah was only on the ground for three hours, the
visit was constructive, with the King meeting privately with
President Bashar Al-Asad in the People's Palace for roughly
45 minutes. He then attended a working lunch, hosted by
Asad, which included senior members of the Syrian government
such as Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim. The Jordanian
diplomat confirmed media reports that the expressed purpose
of the visit was to brief President Asad on the outcome of
King's April 21 meeting with President Obama. Additionally,
the diplomat indicated Asad passed "some type" of message to
King Abdullah intended for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu, though our contact had no specific details on the
nature of the message.
3. (C) Consul Oran reported the Jordanian Embassy was
particularly pleased with the laudatory news coverage of the
Syrian-controlled press, which had not traditionally been the
case. The Jordanian Embassy here reacted positively to
signals they received from the SARG on the possibility of
Jordan serving as an intermediary between the U.S. and Syria;
such previous offers had been immediately rebuffed by the
SARG the diplomat noted.
4. (C) Separately, Consul Oran recounted what he
characterized as a "strange" comment by FM Muallim during the
lunch. According to the diplomat, who did attend the lunch,
Muallim "out of nowhere" stated that the appointment of Salam
Fayyad as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority would
be unacceptable to the Syrian government. The diplomat
reported that the King did not respond to the Muallim's
outburst.
5. (C) Comment: The King's readout provided Bashar with an
unusually reliable source of information with respect to
Washington dynamics, though it is well within Bashar's
ability to misinterpret the briefing. If the reporting on
Muallim's comment regarding Fayyad is indeed accurate, the
schizophrenic nature of Syrian foreign policy once again
reared its ugly face. On one hand, President Asad welcomed
King Abdullah with open arms and expressed support for a
comprehensive peace during the same week in he received
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Meanwhile, FM
Muallim's endorsement of a Hamas talking-point underscores
that Syria's assertions of a constructive approach are highly
suspect.
MAXWELL
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/IPA, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2019
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, KWBG, IS, JO, SY
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN KING ABDULLAH DROPS INTO DAMASCUS
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4(b,d)
1. (U) This is a corrected copy of Damascus 349 to include
additional addressees.
2. (C) The brief and short-notice May 11 visit of Jordan's
King Abdullah II to Damascus concluded successfully according
to Syrian press and the Jordanian Consul, Anas Oran. Though
King Abdullah was only on the ground for three hours, the
visit was constructive, with the King meeting privately with
President Bashar Al-Asad in the People's Palace for roughly
45 minutes. He then attended a working lunch, hosted by
Asad, which included senior members of the Syrian government
such as Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim. The Jordanian
diplomat confirmed media reports that the expressed purpose
of the visit was to brief President Asad on the outcome of
King's April 21 meeting with President Obama. Additionally,
the diplomat indicated Asad passed "some type" of message to
King Abdullah intended for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu, though our contact had no specific details on the
nature of the message.
3. (C) Consul Oran reported the Jordanian Embassy was
particularly pleased with the laudatory news coverage of the
Syrian-controlled press, which had not traditionally been the
case. The Jordanian Embassy here reacted positively to
signals they received from the SARG on the possibility of
Jordan serving as an intermediary between the U.S. and Syria;
such previous offers had been immediately rebuffed by the
SARG the diplomat noted.
4. (C) Separately, Consul Oran recounted what he
characterized as a "strange" comment by FM Muallim during the
lunch. According to the diplomat, who did attend the lunch,
Muallim "out of nowhere" stated that the appointment of Salam
Fayyad as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority would
be unacceptable to the Syrian government. The diplomat
reported that the King did not respond to the Muallim's
outburst.
5. (C) Comment: The King's readout provided Bashar with an
unusually reliable source of information with respect to
Washington dynamics, though it is well within Bashar's
ability to misinterpret the briefing. If the reporting on
Muallim's comment regarding Fayyad is indeed accurate, the
schizophrenic nature of Syrian foreign policy once again
reared its ugly face. On one hand, President Asad welcomed
King Abdullah with open arms and expressed support for a
comprehensive peace during the same week in he received
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Meanwhile, FM
Muallim's endorsement of a Hamas talking-point underscores
that Syria's assertions of a constructive approach are highly
suspect.
MAXWELL