US embassy cable - 04AMMAN1288

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001288 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, IZ, KU, SY, JO 
SUBJECT: MUASHER ON PRODUCTIVE KUWAIT MEETING, PERSISTENT 
PROBLEMS WITH SYRIA 
 
REF: KUWAIT 539 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b) (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (S)  FonMin Muasher told the Ambassador February 18 that 
the Iraq neighbors Foreign Ministers meeting in Kuwait had 
been frank and productive, with the neighbors arguing 
strongly for guarantees of Iraqi unity and the rights of 
Iraqi minorities.  Iraqi FonMin Zebari responded that Kurds 
do not want a separate state, but will seek to preserve some 
of the independence they have enjoyed for twelve years. 
Muasher complained to Zebari that IGC member Ahmed Chalabi 
had spoiled two Jordanian bank deals in Iraq.  According to 
Muasher, Syrian FonMin Sharaa was the only negative voice at 
the Kuwait meeting, and is increasingly an irritant in 
inter-Arab relations.  END SUMMARY 
 
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PRODUCTIVE FONMIN MEETING IN KUWAIT 
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2.  (S)  Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher described the Iraq 
neighboring states Foreign Ministers meeting to the 
Ambassador and PolCouns February 18 as "a good honest 
discussion."  He said that for the first time, Iraqi FonMin 
Zebari had fully participated in the discussions.  For their 
part, the neighboring states had told Zebari that, without a 
strong Iraqi commitment to unity, Iraqi federalism is a 
regional -- not only internal -- issue that affects the 
interests of neighboring states.  Similarly, the lack of 
protection of minority rights in Iraq could cause instability 
and become a regional issue as well. 
 
3.  (S)  Zebari responded by saying that -- speaking as a 
Kurd -- there is no possibility of the creation of a separate 
Kurdistan, and that Kurds understand there is no support for 
the idea in the region.  However, Kurds have been living a 
semi-independent existence for twelve years, and will not be 
willing to give up that status completely.  Accordingly, 
Zebari reportedly argued, Kurds "need to be recognized as a 
special case."  Zebari told the group that Iraqi Shia want 
not only to rule Shia areas of Iraq, but all of Iraq. 
 
4.  (S)  Muasher said that Zebari had underscored the desire 
of the Iraqi government to cooperate closely and cement good 
relations with Jordan, "regardless of the opposition of Ahmed 
Chalabi."  Muasher said he told Zebari that Jordan, too, 
wanted close cooperation with Iraq, but blamed Chalabi for 
spoiling deals negotiated by Jordan's Arab Bank and Export 
and Finance Bank with Iraq banks.  Muasher said he would be 
raising this issue with senior USG  officials on his upcoming 
trip to Washington. 
 
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SYRIA THE ODD MAN OUT 
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5.  (S)  In this frank and productive discussion, Muasher 
commented, "the Syrians stood out like a sore thumb.  Even 
the Iranians were positive."  For example, Muasher said, 
Syrian FonMin Farouq Sharaa insisted that Syria would not 
agree to any document that referred to the November 15 
agreement between the CPA and IGC, "since it was not approved 
by all members of the Governing Council."  (Muasher said that 
Zebari shot back that he doubted that all policies of the 
Syrian government were approved by all segments of Syrian 
society.)  During the meeting, Muasher said that Zebari had 
asserted -- without specifics -- that terrorist leader Abu 
Musab al-Zarqawi is "moving freely back and forth between 
Iraq and Syria," as are other al-Qaeda operatives.  Muasher 
had the impression that Zebari might have been exaggerating a 
bit. 
 
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SYRIAN "STARK IGNORANCE" 
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6.  (S)  Sharaa's behavior in Kuwait, Muasher said, simply 
underscores Syria's "stark ignorance" of the U.S. and the 
rest of the outside world.  Bashar al-Asad had told King 
Abdullah on his recent visit to Damascus that he was not 
worried about who would win the U.S. presidential elections, 
since even a Democrat could choose to keep on the senior 
civilian officials in the current administration.  Similarly, 
Sharaa had told the Jordanians accompanying the King a 
tabloid-like story that showed how out of touch with reality 
he is:  Sharaa told the group that British Prince Charles 
would soon be implicated in a Scottish judicial investigation 
into Princess Diana's death, and was consequently planning a 
trip to Iraq and Iran "to seek the support of the Muslim 
world."  "They just don't get it," Muasher lamented. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  (S)  Muasher was enthusiastic about the frank and 
positive tone of the Kuwait neighboring states meeting. 
However, he is focusing more and more on Syria -- and Farouq 
Sharaa in particular -- as the cause of friction in 
inter-Arab relations and an impediment to progress. 
 
8.  (U)  CPA Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at 
 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET 
home page. 
GNEHM