US embassy cable - 04AMMAN1736

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001736 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2014 
TAGS: PREL, XF, PHUM, ECON, JO 
SUBJECT: PM FAYEZ TELLS U/S GROSSMAN THAT REFORM IN REGION 
NEEDS STABILITY 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.5 (b) (d) 
 
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PARTICIPANTS 
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1.  (U)  U.S. 
 
U/S Marc Grossman 
Amb. Edward W. Gnehm 
NSC Staffer Dan Fried 
NEA DAS Alina Romanowski 
EUR A/DAS Glyn Davies 
P Special Assistant Jonathan Carpenter 
A/DCM Doug Silliman (notetaker) 
 
JORDAN 
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Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez 
Special Assistant Majed Qatarneh 
Media Advisor Ramadan Rawashdeh 
 
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SUMMARY 
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2.  (C)  U/S Grossman told PM Fayez March 3 that the U.S. 
seeks ways to support reforms in the region, not impose a 
plan from outside.  Fayez said that Jordan backs regional 
reform efforts and started its own political, economic, and 
social reforms prior to September 11.  He remained concerned 
that GME was perceived as anti-Islam, and argued that 
including Pakistan and Afghanistan strengthens this 
impression.  He argued strongly that the GME cannot ignore 
the Arab-Israeli conflict, and that stability in the region 
-- particularly in Saudi Arabia -- is important for the 
success of reforms.  He hoped that the AL summit in Tunis 
could issue a general statement of support for reform, with 
specifics to come next year.  Grossman responded that the AL 
should adopt basic reform principles now that can be 
supported by the G-8, U.S.-EU, and NATO summits.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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FAYEZ:  JORDAN SEEKS TO "ADAPT, NOT ADOPT" 
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3.  (C)  On a stop in Amman March 3, U/S Marc Grossman 
thanked PM Faisal al-Fayez for Jordan's support in Iraq and 
on counterterrorism, and noted that he had had a good meeting 
in Cairo with Jordanian FonMin Marwan Muasher (Cairo septel). 
 Fayez told Grossman that "all Arabs know that political 
reform is coming" and is good for the region, but asked that 
the U.S. "take it slowly."  Fayez outlined Jordan's own 
reform efforts which began long before 9/11, explaining that 
Jordan has tried to "adapt, not adopt" best practices from 
the West and elsewhere. 
 
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FOCUS ON ARAB WORLD, NOT ISLAM 
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4.  (C)  While generally supportive of reforms, Fayez said 
the U.S. must try to ensure that the Greater Middle East 
initiative (GME) is not perceived in the region as an "attack 
against Islam."  Including Pakistan and Afghanistan, he 
argued, gives the impression that GME is aimed at Islam and 
does not recognize Arab history and culture.  Furthermore, 
the GME cannot ignore the Arab-Israeli conflict, the core 
issue for the entire region.  Many Arabs do not trust U.S. 
initiatives because of their opposition to U.S. policy on the 
peace process. 
 
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REFORM NEEDS STABILITY TO SUCCEED 
--------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C)  The GME, Fayez argued, must take security into 
consideration.  Reform cannot flourish without political and 
economic stability.  In Jordan, the security services are 
doing a good job of stopping terrorists who want to 
destabilize the country.  Elsewhere in the region, however, 
reforming too fast -- especially in Saudi Arabia -- could 
affect the stability of not only Saudi Arabia but Jordan and 
the Gulf states.  Saudi Arabia, he asserted, will take longer 
to adopt political reforms since "50,000 imams in 50,000 
mosques" have been socialized to "attack imperialism, Israel, 
the West, and the U.S. every Friday."  It will require a 
similar socialization in tolerance and democracy before 
reform in Saudi Arabia will take root. 
 
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GENERAL ARAB STATEMENT NOW, DETAILS LATER 
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6.  (C)  Fayez said he hoped the upcoming Tunis Arab League 
(AL) summit would discuss seriously the question of reform. 
However, he did not believe that Arab leaders had had enough 
time to examine specific ideas or proposals, so the summit 
would likely issue only a general statement of support for 
reforms.  More details would come from the next AL summit in 
2005. 
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GROSSMAN:  "BEST IDEAS FROM WITHIN THE REGION" 
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7.  (C)  U/S Grossman said the U.S. does not seek to impose 
reforms on the Arab world, but rather to support reform 
efforts in the region.  "The best ideas will come from within 
the region."  The U.S., Grossman continued, is moving to 
support reformers now because the conversation on reform has 
already begun.  The U.S. realizes at the same time that it 
must not be seen as acting against Islam. 
 
8.  (C)  The U.S. recognizes that each country is different, 
and will reform at its own speed and in its own way.  These 
differences notwithstanding, the U.S. believes that there 
must be a set of basic principles underlying these political, 
economic, and social reforms.  All of these reforms are 
closely linked, and must move forward together to assure 
success.  The GME is not a substitute for a solution to the 
Arab-Israeli conflict, and the U.S. will continue to work to 
implement the President's vision of two states.  However, 
neither can the conflict be used as an excuse for not moving 
ahead on needed reforms. 
 
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TACTICS AND GEOGRAPHY 
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9.  (C)  Grossman argued that the upcoming AL Summit should 
aim to endorse a clear set of reform principles:  it is not 
enough merely to pledge to continue current reform efforts. 
If the AL comes up with a set of principles, the G-8, U.S.-EU 
and NATO Summits will be able to offer support for them.  In 
addition, the U.S. believes that reform efforts in 
Afghanistan and Pakistani are crucial, but the U.S. can look 
for ways to take regional sensitivities into account, perhaps 
by talking about reform efforts "from the region" with the 
region left undefined. 
 
10.  (U)  U/S Grossman has cleared this message. 
 
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. 
HALE