US embassy cable - 05AMMAN6238

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006238 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, KPAL, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH HOSTS PA PRESIDENT ABU MAZEN 
 
Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE FOR REASONs 1.4 (b) AND (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary. According to a Jordanian official, PA 
President Abu Mazen expressed to King Abdullah his commitment 
to a smooth Gaza withdrawal, but voiced frustration with the 
stance of Israeli PM Ariel Sharon. The King proposed the 
formation of a committee of Arab foreign ministers to provide 
support for the PA. Abu Mazen described his recent visit to 
Damascus as "disappointing", with Syrian President al-Asad 
making contradictory statements on the presence of militant 
Palestinian factions in Syria. During his trip to Lebanon, 
Abu Mazen signaled that he had no objection to the Lebanese 
Army entering refugee camps and disarming militias. End 
Summary. 
 
 2. (C) Charge met August 2 with Jordanian National Security 
Advisor Saad Khayr, who had just left a lunch meeting hosted 
by King Abdullah for Palestinian Authority President Abu 
Mazen. Khayr said that they found Abu Mazen to be very 
focused on achieving a smooth Gaza withdrawal, as evidenced 
by Mazen's meetings with Iraeli PM Ariel Sharon. Khayr told 
Charge that Abu Mazen was upset with Sharon's reluctance to 
permit rehabilitation work to begin on the Gaza airport, as 
well as with Sharon's sarcastic response to a request for 
help in arming PA security forces. Sharon reportedly 
suggested that Abu Mazen take the guns and ammunition from 
the militant factions in the Palestinian territories. 
 
3. (C) The King proposed the formation of a ministerial 
committee, comprised of the Jordanian, Egyptian, Palestinian, 
and Saudi foreign ministers, to meet for regular briefings, 
and to support the PA before, during, and after the Gaza 
withdrawal. Abu Mazen agreed to this proposal. 
 
4. (C) According to Khayr, Abu Mazen described his visit with 
Syrian President Bashar al-Asad as "disappointing". When 
pressed on Palestinian rejectionist bases in Syria, Bashar 
was highly contradictory. First he said that the militant 
factions had packed up and moved to Lebanon. Then he stated 
that the groups only had press offices in Syria. Finally he 
said that they were simply beyond his control. To cap off the 
story, Bashar was then able to summon the leaders of the 
different factions for a meeting with Abu Mazen. 
 
5. (C) According to Khayr, Abu Mazen said that when he 
traveled to Lebanon, he signaled to the GOL that he would 
have no objection to the Lebanese Army entering refugee camps 
and disarming the militias. Abu Mazen said that he told 
Lebanese officials that the Palestinians there should obey 
Lebanese law and that Lebanese sovereignty should be 
respected on all of its territory. Abu Mazen was not sure if 
his intimations to the Lebanese would be followed by any 
action on their part. 
HALE