US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7115

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007115 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARN, NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2013 
TAGS: PREL, SY, SA, KU, JO, IQ 
SUBJECT: MUASHER SAYS PRINCE SAUD'S ATTENDANCE IN DAMASCUS 
WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE SYRIAN CONFERENCE 
 
REF: STATE 305518 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b) (d) 
 
NIACT IMMEDIATE precedence required because of possible need 
for Department action early morning October 31 and Friday 
closings of Kuwait, Cairo, Damascus and Riyadh. 
 
1.  (U)  This is an action message.  See para 5 below. 
 
2.  (C)  Ambassador covered ref points on the November 1-2 
meeting of foreign ministers in Damascus October 31 with 
Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher.  Ambassador stressed the 
need to ensure that the SARG invites an Iraqi Governing 
Council (IGC) representative to attend the full meeting, not 
just a follow-on meeting.  If this is not the case, he urged 
Muasher not to attend. 
 
3.  (C)  Muasher said he had been "on the phone all morning" 
on the issue.  Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Muallim 
had called in the Jordanian and Kuwaiti ambassadors in 
Damascus to tell them that Iraqi FM Zebari would not be 
invited to the Damascus conclave, but would be in town for 
follow on meetings if individual participants desired. 
Muasher said that this was not acceptable, and had called 
Kuwaiti MinState for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Mohammad, who 
agreed that the Iraqis should be represented at the entire 
gathering.  Muasher said Syrian FM Farouq Shara had called 
Saudi FM Prince Saud to propose a "compromise" based on the 
Cairo Arab League meeting formula -- the Iraqis would not be 
invited to the main meeting, but would attend a second 
meeting.  Muasher said this was unacceptable as well, since 
the Arab League and OIC have already seated the IGC in Iraq's 
seat in previous meetings. 
 
4.  (C)  Muasher has spoken to Shaikh Mohammad again, and 
both agreed that they did not want to attend the Damascus 
meetings if the Iraqis were not represented at all sessions. 
Shaikh Mohammad, however, said he would be checking again 
with Prince Saud to see what the Saudis were going to do. 
Muasher said that if Saudi Arabia goes to Damascus (and the 
Kuwaitis as well) and Jordan does not, it puts Jordan in an 
awkward position.  He said it would be "far better if three 
(Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan) didn't go -- then the 
conference would be a failure" with only the Iranians, Turks 
and Egyptians attending.  He said Prince Saud is the key and 
he urged that we talk to Prince Saud immediately. 
 
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COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST 
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5.  (C)  Muasher said he would be recommending to the King 
that he not go to the meeting in Damascus even if the Saudis 
and Kuwaitis attend (absent full Iraqi participation); but he 
said the King would have to make that decision.  The 
attendance or non-attendance of the Saudis -- particularly 
Prince Saud -- seems to be the major issue affecting 
participation in the Damascus meeting.  Senior department 
officials may wish to make our position clear to the Saudis. 
 
 
6.  (U)  CPA Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
 
or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET 
home page. 
GNEHM