US embassy cable - 05AMMAN4320

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, KPAL, EFIN, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: HOUSE STAFFDEL MEETS WITH KING ABDULLAH 
 
REF: AMMAN 909 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary. A staff delegation from the U.S. House of 
Representatives, accompanied by Charge, met with King 
Abdullah on May 29. The staffdel trip was hosted by the 
Government of Jordan, arranged by the Jordanian Embassy in 
Washington, and the Jordanian Foreign Ministry. Also present 
were Royal Court Minister Marwan Muasher, Minister of Finance 
Bassem Awadallah, and Rania Attalah, the King's communication 
director. The King told the staffdel that there must be a 
reconfirmation of the Quartet-led roadmap, and that there is, 
in his view, a two-year window for the establishment of a 
viable Palestinian state. On Iraq, the King stressed the 
importance of the upcoming December elections, and emphasized 
the role that moderates, like former Interim Prime Minister 
Allawi, must play in Iraq's future. The King expressed 
gratitude for U.S. support for Jordan, tying this support to 
the broader struggle to win over hearts and minds in the Arab 
world. End Summary. 
 
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Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 
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2. (C) King Abdullah told staffdel members on May 29 that he 
had recently spoken with Abu Mazen, and that he considered 
the Palestinian Authority President's visit to Washington to 
have been a success. The King spoke about the 
Palestinian/Israeli conflict with guarded optimism. He is 
glad to see the Gaza pullout proceeding on track, but said 
that there is a lack of clarity on how Gaza disengagement 
correlates to the roadmap. What is the next step after the 
Gaza pullout is complete, the King asked? He called for a 
reconfirmation of the roadmap that would get rid of the 
ambiguity surrounding the pullout, and stated that the future 
of the region hangs in the balance. The King said that there 
is a two-year window to achieve a viable Palestinian state. 
If this does not occur, the crisis will continue for 
decades., with serious implications for Jordan's stability 
and identity. 
 
3. (U) The Palestinian issue also surfaced in the King's 
comments on the war on terror. He said that insurgent groups 
and terrorist organizations are using the plight of the 
Palestinian people as a recruiting tool. Progress on the 
peace process is needed in order to keep the Palestinian 
cause from being perverted into a rallying cry for terrorists. 
 
4. (C) The King, echoed by Muasher, said that the U.S. needs 
to give real support to Abu Mazen. He welcomed the positive 
influence of the USD 50 million pledge to the P.A. President. 
Muasher stated that the U.S. needs to continue giving Abu 
Mazen the "tools" he needs to attain a moderate parliament 
that he can work with; he needs to be able to demonstrate the 
he and the moderates can make a difference in people's lives, 
to counter Hamas' influence. 
 
5. (C) For his country's part, the King said that Jordan is 
engaging in civilian training programs for Palestinians, and 
stands ready to provide security training. Jordan has also 
renewed discussions with the PA and Israel regarding proposed 
deployment of the Palestinian Badr Brigade (ref) to the West 
Bank. In today's climate, the King argued, the "highly 
trained" Badr Brigade could be of use, policing of the West 
Bank in place of IDF soldiers or poorly equipped Palestinian 
Authority forces. 
 
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Iraq 
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6. (C) The King stressed the importance of the elections, 
anticipated to take place in December, 2005, and said that it 
should be a goal of the coalition to strengthen the "Allawis" 
-- i.e. the secular moderates willing to work across 
confessional divisions). He said that the GOJ has been 
hosting behind the scenes meetings with Iraqis to bolster 
Sunni support for moderate figures. Asked if he felt that the 
U.S.-led intervention in Iraq was a mistake, the King replied 
that he does not lament Saddam Hussein's demise. The King 
remarked that it was only a matter of time before Saddam 
would have come after Jordan, and that he needed to be 
removed. However, he stated that mistakes were made in the 
aftermath of the war. He lamented the decision to disband all 
of the security forces and the emphasis on rapid 
de-Baathification. These two actions, in the King's 
estimation, had allowed the insurgency to swell and helped 
pave the way for the possible "Iranization" of Iraq. 
 
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Hearts and Minds 
---------------- 
7. (C) The King said that thanks to U.S. support for the 
Jordan Education Initiative, Jordanian schools are now using 
a modern, moderate curriculum and are becoming a role model 
for the region. The First Lady shared this sentiment during 
her visit to Amman earlier in May. The King noted his 
appreciation for the assistance that his country receives 
from the U.S.. This support allows Jordan to move forward on 
the reform agenda, and enables the King to promote a moderate 
message. According to the King, the tangible manifestations 
of U.S. assistance also help to win over the hearts and minds 
of Jordanians and of the Arab world. The King said that he 
expects Jordan will need the same level of U.S. financial 
support through 2007 or 2008, but that the nation is 
approaching the point where it can stand on its own two feet. 
The King said that his country had a three-year plan to 
achieve this goal. 
 
8. (C) In a side note, the King reconfirmed that he will push 
for parliamentary approval of an improved anti-money 
laundering law, particularly in the aftermath of the 
accusations directed against the Arab Bank's New York branch. 
HALE