US embassy cable - 04AMMAN1294

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001294 
 
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