US embassy cable - 04AMMAN3298

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 003298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN. SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON DISCUSSIONS 
BETWEEN GOJ AND U.S ON POSSIBLE MEETING BETWEEN 
PRESIDENT BUSH AND KING ABDULLAH II 
 
                        SUMMARY 
 
Following is a special media reaction on local media 
coverage of discussions between the GOJ and the U.S. 
regarding a possible meeting between President Bush 
and King Abdullah II and possible guarantees on the 
Palestinian-Israeli issue. 
 
                     NEWS REPORTS 
 
--   source: Al-Rai April 29, 2004, p.1 
 
Headline: Bush studies giving written guarantees to 
the King regarding final solution issues. 
 
Washington - Reuters - After his latest strong 
statement in support of Israel, President George Bush 
studies giving written guarantees to His Majesty King 
Abdullah that the issues of Jewish settlements and 
Palestinian refugees will be resolved through 
negotiations. 
 
Negotiations are still underway between the two sides 
to define a date for His Majesty's visit to the  U.S. 
American and diplomatic sources said on Tuesday that 
such guarantees from the President would help repair 
diplomatic relations between the U.S. and its Arab 
allies. 
 
Bush had unleashed international anger on April 14 by 
acknowledging that Israel has the right to keep some 
Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which have been 
built on territory seized by war. 
 
Bush followed that by approving Israeli Prime Minister 
Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza strip 
and ruling out any Palestinian right of return to what 
has now become Israel. 
 
Secretary of State Colin Powell affirmed to Minister 
 
SIPDIS 
of Foreign Affairs Marwan Mu'asher that Bush is not 
imposing conditions for a final peace settlement. 
 
Powell stressed this point on Tuesday evening in a 
celebration of the creation of Israel.  Powell said to 
a gathering of Israelis, American Jews, and high- 
ranking American officials: "At the end of the day, 
the two sides will have to agree mutually to the terms 
of the final settlement." 
 
Saudi Ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar 
Bin Sultan said that the White House had informed him 
that: "All issues concerning the final solution 
between Palestinians and Israelis must stay as they 
are --as issues for a final solution and they must be 
negotiated between the parties concerned." 
 
A Jordanian official said that His Majesty the King 
would use his meeting with Bush to "request an 
explanation" about the status of the settlements and 
Palestinian refugees. 
 
In a gesture of goodwill, the White House is studying 
the possibility of giving him these guarantees in 
writing, but sources in the American administration 
said that a final decision has not been reached in 
this regard.  Jordan fears that denying the 
Palestinian right of return would pave the way to 
their final assimilation in Arab countries. 
 
--  Source: Al-Dustour April 29, 2004, p.1 
 
Headline: Bush will give the King written guarantees 
on the settlements and refugees. 
 
Amman-Al-Dustour- Maher Abou Teir- Al-Dustour learned 
from an informed source at the Royal Court that the 
American - Jordanian contacts are still ongoing to set 
a date for His Majesty King Abdullah's visit to the 
United States, and these contacts focus on the date 
and agenda of the meeting. The contacts will continue 
for the coming few days. 
 
According to political sources, the American 
president, George Bush, is thinking of giving 
guarantees to Jordan, affirming that the US does not 
prejudge the outcome of the possible Israeli- 
Palestinian negotiations. 
 
AFP  quoted  American officials  as  saying  that  the 
American  President  George  Bush  will  give  written 
guarantees to King Abdullah that the issues of  Jewish 
settlements  and Palestinian refugees will  be  solved 
through  negotiations. The French agency also  pointed 
out that George Bush and King Abdullah are planning on 
exchanging letters that clarify the current situation, 
pointing   out  that  according  to  documents   being 
prepared  by  Jordanian and American diplomats,  there 
will   be   written   documents  to   President   Bush 
reemphasizing  Jordan's support for the  Palestinians' 
peace  efforts as opposed to Israel's unilateral  plan 
to pull out from the Gaza Strip. 
 
 
--  Source: Al-Arab Al-Yawm April 29, 2004, p.1 
 
Headline: American guarantees to Jordan on the final 
solution issues; King to Qurei': Any solution without 
the Palestinians will not succeed 
 
Ongoing diplomatic contacts in preparation for the 
Jordanian-American summit, which was postponed, made 
remarkable progress yesterday when an announcement was 
made by U.S. officials to AFP that the President of 
United States of America Mr. George W. Bush is 
planning to give written guarantees to His Majesty 
King Abdullah II in their meeting which is expected to 
be on May 6, 2004 to the effect that the U.S. will not 
prejudge the results of the final solution 
negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel, and 
that U.S. is committed to the roadmap. 
 
This change in the American position fulfills what His 
Majesty had requested from the White House and had 
discussed again yesterday with Palestinian Prime 
Minister Ahmad Qurei'.  His Majesty reaffirmed that 
the final solution for the Palestinian conflict should 
be dealt with by the parties concerned, and any 
solution should be done by agreement between these 
parties. 
 
His Majesty also said that he would soon make contacts 
and talks to ensure that the conflict is dealt with 
and resolved by the parties concerned, and that  " Any 
unilateral solutions that exclude the Palestinians are 
bound to fail". 
 
The King's assertion of Jordan's constant position 
regarding final status issues is what prompted the 
American official to admit to AFP that Jordan is 
determined to get written guarantees from President 
Bush, indicating that these guarantees will be given 
in the form of letters or explanatory notes.  The 
official also said that His Majesty and U.S. President 
will exchange letters which clarify the present 
situation and how things will turn out in the future. 
 
 
On the other hand His Majesty King Abdullah II will 
present written documents to U.S. assuring once again 
Jordan's support for the  reform efforts of the 
Palestinians. 
 
Regarding the details of the American statement the 
American official said that it would reaffirm the U.S. 
commitment to the Road Map, which was prepared by the 
Quartet and which calls for the creation of an 
independent Palestinian State by 2005. 
High-ranking official sources affirmed to Al-Arab Al- 
Yawm that contacts with the American side are 
underway, but refused to disclose any details except 
for confirming the truth of the news agencies' reports 
attributed to American officials. 
                 EDITORIAL COMMENTARY 
 
-- Source: Al-Rai April 29, 2004, p.3 
 
Headline: Jordan seeks American guarantees concerning 
the frame of reference of peace and to keep the issues 
of the final solution as the prerogative of the 
parties concerned. 
 
Commentary by: Faisal Malkawi 
 
Consultations are still underway between Jordan and 
the U.S. administration regarding the forthcoming 
visit by His Majesty King Abdullah II to the U.S. and 
his meeting with U.S. President George Bush. 
 
These contacts started immediately after the King 
postponed his meeting with the American President, 
which was scheduled for April 21 to give more time for 
consultations with the U.S. administration in order to 
develop a common base that would contribute to the 
success of His Majesty's visit. 
 
The repercussions that preceded and accompanied the 
last visit, once they became clear, namely, the state 
of confusion caused by the American position regarding 
the peace process, the effect on the Palestinian 
situation produced by the U.S. President's statement 
with Ariel Sharon, and the general conditions in the 
region, all of which are equally important, led to His 
majesty's return from the U.S. and to the postponement 
of his meeting with the U.S. President, according to 
Jordanian officials after His Majesty's return. 
 
These contacts have one fundamental purpose, which is 
to make His Majesty's next visit to the U.S. 
successful, but through the achievement of tangible 
steps to move the peace process forward, away from 
misinterpretations of what really happened. 
 
Even if there were differences of positions between 
Jordan and the U.S. administration regarding important 
issues on which Jordan has taken a position on 
principle, such as the Palestinian question, yet all 
indications affirm two undeniable facts that are not 
subject to misinterpretation:  The first is that 
Jordan-U.S. bilateral relations are important in many 
ways, and the second is the importance of the American 
position that is now needed to advance peace efforts 
in the region, towards their desired objective, in 
accordance with the Madrid process, international 
resolutions, and the Road Map. 
 
Jordan's request for clarification of the American 
position, which was done through these contacts and 
consultations, and which was guaranteed by the 
continued presence of Dr. Marwan Mu'asher in eth U.S. 
on the instructions of His Majesty the King were all 
based on a clear Jordanian position of principle, the 
elements of which appeared in His Majesty's letter to 
the U.S. President on the means to end the Israeli 
Palestinian conflict and consolidate stability in the 
region. 
 
His Majesty pointed out that Jordan's strong support 
of the U.S. President's vision is based on the 
creation of two states to end the Israeli Palestinian 
conflict, and stressed that this is the only 
acceptable solution that would guarantee stability in 
the region and achieve security and prosperity for its 
people. 
 
His Majesty also stressed that the Israeli withdrawal 
from Gaza should be part of the Road Map, not an 
alternative to it. 
 
These elements derive from the details of the 
Jordanian position, that the issues of the final 
peaceful solution such as the right of return, 
borders, settlements, and the Palestinian state are 
the right of the parties concerned alone, to be 
negotiated in accordance with the international 
references and resolutions, as well as the Arab 
initiative, all of which is included in the road map. 
 
These are what observers call the "guarantees 
requested by Jordan" and the references to which all 
parties must return in order to eliminate the state of 
confusion which was caused by the American President's 
statement.  It was this that made Jordan feel the need 
for more dialogue with Washington to reach a clear 
position acceptable to all parties, in order to make 
the next visit a success. 
 
Analysts feel that the reassertion by Bush and his 
Secretary of State Powell in public statements to the 
 
SIPDIS 
media that all final solution issues are the 
prerogative of the parties concerned to negotiate 
alone, and that the U.S. would not prejudge these 
negotiations, is a positive sign towards a commitment 
to the vision of the two state solution, which was 
announced by the U.S. President. 
GNEHM