US embassy cable - 05AMMAN1274

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 001274 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2010 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, LE, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S POSITION ON HARIRI'S DEATH 
 
REF: STATE 27178 
 
Classified By: Charge David Hale, Reasons 1.4 (B) & (D) 
 
1.  (C) Charge delivered reftel demarche to Foreign Minister 
al-Mulki and Royal Court Minister al-Rifai, and spoke briefly 
with the King on the matter, on February 16.  Mulki said he 
had garnered support within the Arab League and from Amre 
Moussa to host an emergency ministerial in Damascus on 
February 18.  It would be used as cover to convey the 
strongest possible message on the need for Syrian compliance 
with UNSCR 1559.  He said the Syrians had not given their 
formal approval for the meeting, and Egyptian FM Aboul Ghaith 
was reportedly not fully aboard as well ) the issue for him, 
Mulki said, being the venue.  Although the ministers would 
convene under the banner of expressing "solidarity and 
support for Arab states facing crises," that rubric would be 
window dressing for tough talk behind the scenes.  Rifai 
confirmed that this initiative has palace backing.  Charge 
stressed to both officials that the message on compliance 
needed to be as blunt as possible, that careful preparation 
was needed to ensure that the ministerial did not leave a 
public perception of Arab League support for Syria, and that 
the Syrians should not be led to believe that improved Syrian 
behavior in one area would relieve them of the need to act in 
other areas of U.S. concern.  The King indicated his support 
as well for a tough message on UNSCR 1559 compliance. 
 
2.  (U) King Abdullah released a statement February 14 
condemning the "cowardly criminal murder" of Hariri and 
pledging Jordan,s support for Lebanon.  He praised Hariri as 
a "great statesman who made remarkable contributions to the 
building of modern Lebanon and the development of its 
economy." 
 
3.  (U) Jordan sent to Hariri's funeral a delegation of elder 
statesmen, led by the President of the Senate and ex-Prime 
Minister Zaid al-Rifai. 
HALE