US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5257

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005257 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2013 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS IRAQI GOVERNING 
COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE 
 
REF: STATE 238110 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Hale for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Iraqi Governing Council (GC) member Dr. 
Mowaffak Al Rubaie met with Jordanian PM Ali Abul Ragheb on 
August 19 in Amman to discuss bilateral issues.  Dr. Al 
Rubaie characterized their talks as "very positive" and said 
that Abul Ragheb promised that the GOJ would continue to 
receive GC delegations and work with the GC on issues of 
common concern.  Abul Ragheb stressed, however, that the GOJ 
would not formally recognize the GC so long as Ahmad Chalabi 
was a member, nor would it accept Chalabi in a leadership 
role or have any dealings with him.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C) During a brief visit to Amman, GC member Al Rubaie 
directly telephoned Jordanian PM Abul Ragheb, who Al Rubaie 
personally knew from a prior business relationship, to 
request a meeting.  Abul Ragheb subsequently met with Al 
Rubaie for approximately 45 minutes.  Directly after the 
meeting, Al Rubaie briefed PolOff and said that the talks had 
gone very well, and that the overall atmosphere had been warm 
and friendly. 
 
3. (C) Al Rubaie started his meeting with Abul Ragheb by 
recounting the long-standing ties between Iraq and Jordan and 
emphasizing their many shared interests.  On the economic 
front, Al Rubaie noted the considerable commerce between the 
two countries and said that while Jordan could benefit from 
Iraq's abundant natural resources, Iraq could benefit by 
learning from and emulating Jordan's economic reforms. 
 
4. (C) With respect to relations with the U.S., Al Rubaie 
opined that just as Jordan was a close U.S. ally, the GC 
hoped that post-Saddam Iraq would remain a firm friend of the 
U.S.  While both Al Rubaie and Abul Ragheb agreed that U.S. 
forces and administrators needed to withdraw completely from 
Iraq, Al Rubaie stressed that conditions for such a 
withdrawal would not be ripe in the near future.  If U.S. 
troops left prematurely, he argued, the country could descend 
into chaos or civil war. 
 
5. (C) Al Rubaie told PolOff that he had discussed several 
"problematic" issues with Abul Ragheb, including payment of 
outstanding loans, the disposition of frozen Iraqi assets, 
and Jordanian requests for discounted oil, but expressed 
confidence that all these issues could be resolved through 
discussions.  The one problem that Al Rubaie characterized as 
"insoluble" was Ahmad Chalabi. 
 
6. (C) According to Al Rubaie, Abul Ragheb was "obsessed" 
with Chalabi and repeatedly raised the issue throughout their 
meeting.  While Abul Ragheb said that the GOJ would be happy 
to receive future GC delegations and that the GOJ would work 
with the GC on bilateral issues, he stated that the GOJ would 
not formally recognize the GC as the legitimate 
representative of the Iraqi people as long as Chalabi was a 
GC member.  Jordan would refuse to have any dealings 
whatsoever with Chalabi and, more over, Abul Ragheb pleaded 
with Al Rubaie to shut down or at least muzzle INC-controlled 
newspapers in Iraq that were "slandering" the GOJ and 
Jordanian officials. 
 
7. (C) COMMENT:  The fact that Abul Ragheb welcomed Al Rubaie 
into his office and pledged cooperation with the GC is 
another clear sign that -- despite problems over Chalabi -- 
Jordan is eager to continue its strong support for political 
transition and reconstruction in Iraq, and ready to deal 
naturally with GC members and other officials, with one 
exception.  End Comment. 
HALE