US embassy cable - 03AMMAN931

S E C R E T AMMAN 000931 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2013 
TAGS: PREL, KPAL, IS, IZ, JO, MEPP 
SUBJECT: FM MUASHER'S READOUT OF KING ABDULLAH'S 2/8 
MEETING WITH MUBARAK AND DOV WEISGLASS' 2/9 VISIT TO AMMAN 
 
Classified By: CDA Gregory L. Berry.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1. (U) Charge called FonMin Muasher February 10 to get a 
readout of the King's 2/8 meeting in Aqaba with Egyptian 
President Mubarak, as well as of Muasher's own meeting with 
Sharon advisor Dov Weisglass the previous day (2/9) in Amman. 
 
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Mubarak/Abdullah: Opposed to an Early Summit on Iraq 
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2. (S) Muasher said that the King and Mubarak agreed to 
continue working (along with the Saudis) to block any attempt 
to move forward the date of the Arab League Summit to the 
first week of March.  Convening an early summit, the two 
leaders agreed, would serve no useful purpose toward 
addressing the Iraq problem.  Muasher commented that "Libya, 
Tunisia, Qatar and Amr Mousa" are exerting the strongest 
pressure for an early summit.  Muasher said he believed a 
final decision on the issue could be deferred until the 
February 15-16 Arab League Ministerial in Cairo. 
 
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Weisglass Visit: Israelis Stressing the Positive 
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3. (S) Muasher then provided the Charge a summary of the 
"long discussion" he and Dov Weisglass had on the Roadmap and 
other related MEPP issues the previous day (Sharon Advisor 
Shalom Turgeman, Israeli Ambassador to Jordan David Dadon, 
and Jordanian Charge to Israel Mazen Tal also participated in 
the meeting).  Weisglass, he said, came with the aim of 
convincing Muasher that the Roadmap changes the GOI is 
considering are "not substantial."  Muasher said he responded 
by questioning "if that was indeed the case, why were any 
changes needed at all?" (Note: On 2/9, Muasher's Personal 
Assistant, Ali al-Ayed (who had also been in the meeting) 
told A/PolCouns that Muasher had "stressed to Weisglass three 
times" that the Roadmap is a package and should not be 
altered at all: "If you open it up for any amendment, others 
will want to do the same and it will fall apart" Muasher 
said, according to al-Ayed.  End Note) 
 
4. (S) Muasher said he then explained at length to Weisglass 
the importance of reenergizing the Arab League initiative, 
noting that it "brought the entire Arab world on board" 
According to Muasher, Weisglass listened attentively, 
appeared to understand and respond to Muasher's logic, and 
promised to repeat Muasher's argument to Sharon upon his 
return. 
 
5. (S) On the issue of Israeli insistence that there has to 
be progress in "Phase I" (i.e. shifting Arafat out of power) 
before there can be movement on other fronts, Muasher said he 
stressed to Weisglass that Israel must provide "clarity on 
its end game" before it could expect the Arab world to 
contribute positively: "To the extent you (Israel) are 
prepared to be clear on the end game, you will find the Arab 
world will be prepared to be with you." 
 
6. (S) Summing up, Muasher noted that this was Weisglass's 
first visit to Jordan and that, as such, he is reluctant to 
read too much into it -- but that clearly the Israelis came 
wanting to appear positive. 
 
BERRY