US embassy cable - 04AMMAN4238

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004238 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, KDEM, JO 
SUBJECT: FONMIN MUASHER ON REGIONAL REFORM, ARAB LEAGUE 
SUMMIT RESULTS, ARAFAT AND SECURITY ISSUES 
 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b) (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  FonMin Muasher expressed pleasure May 26 with the 
results of the Tunis Arab League summit on the subjects of 
Arab League reform, Iraq, the Middle East peace process, and 
regional reform.  He said the reform resolution is a good 
basis for a dialogue between the G-8 and Arab states on 
reform.  He cautioned, however, that there is a strong Arab 
consensus against participation in proposed forums with the 
G-8 if the geographic range of our reform initiative extended 
beyond the Arab world.  He said that President Mubarak had 
pledged to put greater pressure on Arafat to take firm 
security steps, claiming also that the Egyptians believe 
HAMAS is willing to make a deal with Egypt and the PA.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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TUNIS ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT:  "WE GOT ALL WE WANTED" 
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2.  (C)  Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher told the Ambassador 
and PolCouns May 26 that Jordan had gotten "all that we 
wanted" from the Tunis Arab League (AL) summit on the 
subjects of AL reform, Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict, and regional reform.  The Tunisians, he commented, 
had been heavy-handed in limiting discussion on and ensuring 
passage of the progressive draft resolutions, "but I liked 
their heavy-handedness this time."   On AL reform, heads of 
state had refrained from fully approving the "covenant" 
proposed by Saudi Arabia, but foreign ministers initialed the 
document, approving it for distribution to members for final 
discussion and approval at next year's summit.  Some of the 
specific AL reforms -- including adoption of AL resolutions 
by majority vote instead of consensus -- will be discussed at 
the ministerial level within the next three months to set the 
stage for final adoption next year.  On Iraq, Muasher argued, 
the summit resolution was positive.  For the first time, Arab 
governments are on the record as prepared to cooperate with 
and support a role for the UN and a peaceful transition.  The 
summit created a committee of the "troika" -- the past, 
present, and future summit chairs -- to follow up on Iraq 
issues with the UN. 
 
3.  (C)  On the MEPP, Muasher said that there were three 
important new elements.  First, the summit called for a 
reciprocal cease-fire, the first time, he claimed, that the 
AL included a clear call for an end to all violence.  Second, 
the summit's final communique condemned all violence targeted 
against civilians.  PA Chairman Arafat, Muasher commented, 
exerted a positive influence on this statement, calling for 
the summit to adopt such language in his video address to the 
group.  Third, the summit appointed a ministerial committee 
to "market" the Beirut Summit initiative. 
 
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REGIONAL REFORM MEANS THE ARAB WORLD, NOT AFGHANISTAN 
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4.  (C)  On regional reform, Muasher said the summit adopted 
the resolution of reform principles that had been worked out 
at the AL ministerial meeting in Cairo "without changing a 
single word."  This document sets the stage for the G-8 to 
work with the Arab world on reform, Muasher argued.  The only 
remaining contentious issue is the geographical scope of the 
reform initiative.  There was a strong consensus in Tunis 
that the reform dialogue include only the Arab world -- not 
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, or Turkey.  Noting that G-8 
Summit formulations have referred to dialogue with "the 
region," Muasher said "the region, for us, is the Arab 
world."  The G-8 can conduct a reform dialogue separately 
with non-Arab states, he said, but the message from the Arab 
summit was that "there will not be (Arab) participation in a 
forum that includes Afghanistan" and other non-Arab 
governments. 
 
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EGYPT TO PRESS ARAFAT ON SECURITY 
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5.  (S)  Muasher said that, in his meeting with King Abdullah 
on the margins of the Tunis summit, Egyptian President 
Mubarak said Egyptian Intelligence Director Omar Soliman 
would "be tough on Arafat" and try to convince him to permit 
the PA to take concrete security actions.  Soliman, Muasher 
continued, believes that HAMAS is under great pressure and 
might be ready now to strike a deal with Egypt and the PA on 
a cease-fire.  Egypt promised to continue to try to broker 
such a deal, Muasher claimed. 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (C)  Muasher commented that despite the positive 
substantive outcome of the summit, the atmospherics had not 
been good:  "it is getting harder and harder to meet."  In 
what is becoming a mantra, Muasher noted that Syria and 
Lebanon had been obstructionist and were isolated from the 
other Arab states on most issues.  He said, for example, that 
at the 11th hour the Lebanese, acting for the Syrians, tabled 
a completely new draft resolution on the MEPP.  The other 
delegations were unanimous in rejecting it. 
 
7.  (C)  Muasher was pleased that the passage of the summit 
resolution on reform principles gives the G-8 an Arab 
document to use as the basis for its reform dialogue. 
However, he emphasized that there was a strong consensus 
among Arab leaders in Tunis that this G-8 reform dialogue 
should include only Arab countries, warning that many Arab 
states would not participate if the dialogue included 
non-Arab states as well. 
 
8.  (U)  Kabul and 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