US embassy cable - 05AMMAN4874

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004874 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, PRM AND IO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREF, PREL, IS, SZ, JO, ICRC 
SUBJECT: MDA: JORDANIAN STANCE ON CONFERENCE FOR THIRD 
ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL 
 
REF: STATE 112023 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
(C) Acting PolCouns met with Walid Obeidat of the Foreign 
Minister's private office on June 16 to discuss Jordan's 
position on the Swiss government proposal to convene a 
diplomatic conference on the Third Additional Protocol to 
pave the way for MDA membership in the Red Cross/Red Crescent 
Movement.  Obeidat said he had discussed this issue the 
previous day with Ambassador Walid Rifai, head of the Foreign 
Ministry's International Organizations department.  According 
to Obeidat, while Jordan had no strong objections to the 
Swiss proposal, there was considerable opposition by some 
Arab states (though he declined to name which ones) that was 
preventing consensus among Arab League nations in support of 
the proposed conference.  Obeidat added that while Jordan 
would try to play a helpful role in ongoing Arab discussions 
on this issue, it was not prepared to break ranks with other 
Arab states.  Charge will raise in his next meeting with 
Foreign Minister Qasrawi, and it would be helpful for senior 
USG officials who meet him to do so as well. 
HALE