US embassy cable - 04AMMAN7406

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2014 
TAGS: PREL, LE, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN ENDORSES UNSC RESOLUTION ON LEBANON 
 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C)  Jordanian Foreign Minister Muasher publicly endorsed 
the recent UNSC resolution on the Lebanese presidential 
elections during a press conference on September 6.  While 
stressing that the resolution "must be carefully studied," he 
noted that Jordan had never stood against any of the Security 
Council resolutions "regardless whether we agreed with it or 
not."  He emphasized that follow-up must be carefully 
orchestrated to allow for the appropriate dialogue with the 
international community, adding that he believed the issue 
would be raised during the upcoming Arab Foreign Ministers' 
Conference. 
 
2.  (C)  Privately, a proud Muasher expressed to Charge on 
September 7 his satisfaction in eliciting "screams" from the 
Syrians after the GOJ endorsed the UNSC resolution.  He cited 
Jordan opposition to Syrian regional policies as well as 
Jordan,s traditionally "friendly" relations with the 
Lebanese people as grounds for his statement. 
 
3.  (C)  He said that the Lebanese -- but not the Syrians -- 
had already approached the Arab League to discuss how to 
handle a response to the Security Council action.  Muasher 
said he called Amr Moussa to tell him that if there was any 
move afoot in the Arab League to condemn the UN action, 
Jordan would object.  Moussa agreed that an expression of 
League opposition to the Security Council was not desirable, 
according to Muasher. 
 
4. (C)  Comment:  Jordanian officials have welcomed a tougher 
U.S. line on Syria in general, given their own litany of 
security and political problems with Damascus, and in 
particular welcomed U.S. efforts to isolate Syria on the 
issue of presidential elections.  In addition to their 
geostrategic thinking, Jordan,s leaders have been motivated 
by increasingly close ties with Lebanese PM Hariri, whose 
profile in Amman -- his wife,s hometown -- is growing by the 
day.  In addition to having bought a controlling share in 
Jordan,s largest bank, the Arab Bank, during the past year, 
Hariri is said to have contributed significantly to the 
favored charities of the King and Queen.  He also has 
promised to play a prominent role in redeveloping a blighted 
area of downtown, the Abdali district, along the model of a 
Hariri brainchild, the Solidere project that revived central 
Beirut.  That scheme for Amman includes a favorite project of 
Queen Rania, an AUB-modeled American University of Jordan. 
Hariri,s access to King Abdullah, as well as Jordan,s own 
interest in pressuring Damascus, no doubt in part accounts 
for Jordan,s bolder, and notably public line on Lebanon's 
presidential elections. 
 
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. 
HALE