US embassy cable - 02AMMAN4744

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 004744 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2012 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH STEAMED FORMER PRIME MINISTER TAHIR 
AL-MASRI 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) In a meeting with former Prime Minister Tahir al-Masri 
on August 18, a visibly angry al-Masri complained about the 
recent U.S. treatment of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and 
encouraged the U.S.--before any movement against Iraq--to 
pressure the Israelis to withdraw from Areas A and improve 
the humanitarian situation on the ground for the 
Palestinians.  We report al-Masri's comments as illustrative 
of an emerging theme in Jordan -- that the U.S. is "targeting 
a number of Arab countries with large populations or economic 
importance," in the words of one editorial.  End Summary. 
 
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WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING YOUR ALLIES? 
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2. (C) Al-Masri started the meeting by asking Poloff why the 
U.S. is attacking two of its closest allies--Egypt and Saudi 
Arabia.  Al-Masri pointed to two recent issues that have made 
the press here--the lawsuit launched against several Saudi 
NGOs and members of the Royal family, and the U.S. decision 
not to request supplemental funds for Egypt because of the 
case of human rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim.  Al-Masri 
refused to believe Poloff's explanation that the USG had no 
control over the civil lawsuit launched by private Amcits, 
saying that the USG could have done something for the Saudis. 
 As further evidence of hostile U.S. intentions towards Saudi 
Arabia, he showed Poloff a Salon.com article which portrays 
the administration as only slightly less antagonistic towards 
Saudi Arabia than Iraq.  On the Saad Eddin Ibrahim issue, 
al-Masri complained that the U.S. is putting both countries 
in a terrible position vis a vis Iraq and the Palestinian 
situation. 
 
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PALESTINE: PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE YOU HIT IRAQ 
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3. (C) Al-Masri calmed down a bit to talk about the issue of 
Iraq.  Al-Masri told Poloff he was convinced that the U.S. 
intends to launch an attack--it was a question of when, not 
if.  Al-Masri suggested that to temper the reaction in Jordan 
to U.S. military action, the U.S. should pressure the 
Israelis to withdraw from Area A and improve the humanitarian 
situation on the ground in the West Bank (i.e. lift the 
curfew).  Al-Masri predicted that by doing so, "it will be 
much easier for the U.S. to go after Iraq." 
 
4. (C) Al-Masri became riled again discussing the 
deteriorating situation in the West Bank, particularly the 
declining living conditions which were "taking a terrible 
toll on everyone."  He reiterated his support for the 
President's June 24 speech, but doubted Sharon's commitment 
to the President's goal of a two-state solution and believed 
Sharon was doing all he could to undermine the peace effort. 
Since the speech, according to al-Masri, "the Palestinians 
have done everything the U.S. has asked of them...but each 
time Sharon says no."  Al-Masri commented that Palestinian 
Jordanians were seething about recent Israeli actions in the 
West Bank, but had no outlet to express their emotions. 
 
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COMMENT 
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5. (C) Al-Masri, who is often acerbic but seldom emotional, 
was striking a theme which we are hearing in the press and 
from a variety of sources -- that the U.S. is "targeting" a 
number of Arab countries, including allies like Egypt and 
Saudi Arabia, as part of a strategy for the region.  In the 
words of an editorial in "Dustour," "All this means...a 
serious negative turning point in the course of Arab-American 
relations, especially in the Arab countries that are 
classified as allies of the United States...The only 
beneficiary" is Israel, which supposedly is encouraging an 
attack on Iraq and "instigating" the U.S. against Egypt and 
Saudi Arabia.  To some degree, this perspective is simply a 
variant on the widespread perception that the U.S. has a 
fundamentally anti-Arab bias in policy.  To the extent, 
however, that Jordanians come to believe that the U.S. is 
dismissive even of its friends in the Arab world, American 
credibility suffers across the board. 
GNEHM