US embassy cable - 05AMMAN8169

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 008169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: IRAQI CONSTITUTION COMPROMISE DEMARCHE 
DELIVERED 
 
REF: A. STATE 188987 
 
     B. AMMAN 08093 
 
Classified By: DCM Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Polcouns delivered ref A demarche October 13 to Dimi 
Haddad, chief of Foreign Minister Kasrawi's private office; 
the FM is currently abroad with King Abdullah.  Haddad 
confirmed that the GOJ public line on the referendum 
paralleled ours, and said the GOJ would continue privately 
encouraging its Iraqi contacts to engage in the political 
process.  Haddad, who was Jordanian Charge d'Affaires in 
Baghdad until last month, thought that it would be difficult 
for opponents of the constitution to achieve a two-thirds 
majority in three provinces because the Sunnis are not well 
organized, and many Sunni Arab opponents of the constitution 
- especially in Ninevah province - believe a boycott is the 
best way to achieve their goals. 
 
2.  (U) In an October 9 interview ref B with Al-Rai, the 
leading semi-official Arabic-language daily, King Abdullah 
spoke positively about Iraqi Constitution and the recent 
changes made to it, and called for Iraqis to participate in 
the political process and build their country. 
HALE