US embassy cable - 02AMMAN2257

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002257 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2012 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, JO, UNGA 
SUBJECT: JORDAN SUGGESTS EUROPEAN INTERVENTION WITH ARAB 
GROUP TO MODERATE LANGUAGE ON SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 2222 
 
     B. USUN 1154 
 
Classified By: CDA Gregory L. Berry for reasons 1.5 (B)(D) 
 
1.  (C)  Responding to our earlier demarche (ref a), Acting 
Foreign Minister Shaher Bak told the Charge and PolCouns May 
8 that Jordan does not want the UN Special Session on 
Children to be "hijacked" by radical language from the Arab 
Group.  He said that PM Ali Abul Ragheb had instructed the 
head of Jordan's delegation, Social Development Minister 
Taman al-Ghul, to moderate the language of the conference and 
keep the session focused on children's issues to the extent 
possible.  He said, however, that if there was "unanimous 
agreement" from other members of the Arab group on insertion 
of language about the plight of Palestinian children, there 
would be nothing Jordan could do to oppose it. 
 
2.  (C)  Bak suggested that the U.S. ask key European 
countries to approach Arab Group members and argue against 
inclusion of such language.  Coming from the Europeans, Bak 
argued, such a message would have greater impact.  Such 
European action, Bak concluded, might help Jordan to moderate 
Arab Group language.  He promised that he would stay in touch 
with delegation leader al-Ghul throughout the conference, and 
said the Jordanian delegation would be willing to work with 
the U.S. delegation to produce a positive outcome. 
BERRY