US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6261

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006261 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013 
TAGS: KPAL, LE, PGOV, PREL, PTER, SY, JO, JY 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S AMB. IN SYRIA ON TERRORISM IN IRAQ, HAMAS 
AND BLACK SEPTEMBER 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b)(d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) An Embassy contact outlined for us a recent meeting he 
had with Jordan's Ambassador in Syria.  The Ambassador 
worried about the flow of terrorists from Syria into Iraq, 
and pressure he feels to permit old Palestinian fedayeen into 
Jordan.  End Summary. 
 
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AMB. ARABIAT LINKS SYRIA WITH TERRORISTS ENTERING IRAQ 
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2. (C) Issa Michael Matalka, Director for both the Middle 
East Forum and the Investigative Project, relayed to us a 
conversation with Shaker Arabiat, the Jordanian Ambassador in 
Damascus.  Matalka met Amb. Arabiat on September 23 and 
discussed his views on Iraq and Syria.  According to Amb. 
Arabiat, the main threat to Iraq comes from its long border 
with neighboring Syria.  Arabiat believes that members of 
terrorist organizations like the Popular Front for the 
Liberation of Palestine (based in Lebanon and Syria), 
Hizballah, and mujahideen from Palestinian camps in both 
Lebanon and Syria as well as from Algeria, Sudan and even 
Afghanistan are entering Iraq from its porous border with 
Syria to conduct terrorist attacks against U.S. forces in 
Iraq. 
 
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PALESTINIANS WANT TO COME HOME TO JORDAN 
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3. (C) Amb. Arabiat told Matalka that another serious problem 
he is facing in Damascus are requests to return to Jordan as 
many as 10,000 members of the terrorist group "Black 
September" who fought the Jordanian army in 1970 and 
eventually fled to Syria.  They consider themselves Jordanian 
citizens and many now wish to return to Jordan and settle 
here with their families.  The GOJ considers some to be very 
dangerous and responsible for several terrorist attacks in 
Jordan and elsewhere in the 70s.  Amb. Arabiat said he has 
been visited often at the Jordanian Embassy in Damascus by 
Hamas Political Bureau president Khalid Mishal and Dr. Musa 
Abu Marzouk seeking renewal of their Jordanian passports but 
he has refused their requests several times. 
 
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AMB. ARABIAT'S VIEWS ON SYRIA 
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4. (C)  Amb. Arabiat told Matalka that Syria continues to be 
controlled by the "old guard", who still wield the power 
under President Bashar Asad.  He considers Syria to be a 
dangerous, pro-terrorist country, with far to go in its 
efforts to change its "sponsor of terrorism" image. 
 
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COMMENT 
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5. (C) Matalka has been a periodic but good source of 
information on human rights cases.  Shaker Arabiat, who we 
know well from his service in the Jordanian MFA in Amman, is 
a professional and a good analyst.  His views on Syria and 
Iraq are consistent with those held by the King and his 
senior security advisors. 
GNEHM