VZCZCXRO6498
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2739 2130612
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 010612Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6004
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0849

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002739 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2016 
TAGS: PREL PTER IZ JO
SUBJECT: FM READ-OUT OF ARAB LEAGUE MEETING AND VISITS TO 
U.S. AND JORDAN 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Margaret Scobey for reasons 1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
----------------------------- 
ARAB LEAGE CAIRO PREP MEETING 
----------------------------- 
 
¶1.  (C) On July 30, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari 
characterized the Arab League preparatory meeting in Cairo as 
unsuccessful.  He reported that it did not result in setting 
a date for the conference because sectarian tensions were too 
high and everyone was distracted by the Lebanon-Gaza crisis. 
Participants only agreed to meet "in November" without 
setting a specific date.  Zebari said he would travel to 
Cairo at the end of August. 
 
------------------------------- 
PM MEETS JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Zebari took credit for convincing Prime Minister Nuri 
al-Maliki to visit with Jordan's King Abdullah in Aqaba on 
their way home from the States.  Zebari briefly reviewed six 
topics discussed. 
 
--The Iraqis raised concerns about Jordanian protection being 
given to the activities of former senior Baath Party 
officials. Zebari said it was not just the issue of Saddam's 
daughters, but others.  King Abdullah acknowledged that he 
had given safehaven to some, but promised that if the Iraqis 
had any evidene to suggest their were abusing Jordanian 
hospitality by involving themselves in conspiratorial 
activities, he would take action.  He would not allow Jordan 
to be used to undermine Iraqi security interests.  They 
agreed that the Iraqi Minister of Interior and Chief of their 
National Intelligence Service would bring their information 
to their counterparts in Amman. 
 
--Jordan asked to revive previous arrangements on oil, citing 
their need to provide crude to the Zarkha refinery.  Some 
technical discussion ensued, and the Iraqis said they were 
willing to help, but nothing definite was decided. 
 
--The Iraqis complained about treatment of Iraqi visitors to 
Jordan at the ports of entry.  They did not object to 
security measures per se, but to the way in which Iraqis were 
treated.  The King promised to send inspectors to the 
Jordanian border to check the situation. 
 
--Both Jordan and Iraq agreed on the need to upgrade border 
facilities on both sides of the border, estimating the need 
for $65 million on each side.  They decided to look for 
possible donor countries for this project. 
 
--King Abdullah asked about the postponed conference of 
religious leaders that he had proposed be held in Amman. 
Maliki said he thought it a good idea and would review it; he 
said he would come back to the King when he thought that 
holding the meeting would support his national reconciliation 
plan. 
 
--On Syria, the King agreed that it was playing a very 
negative role in the region.  Jordanian intelligence asserted 
that facilitating the transit of foreign fighters into Iraq 
was Syria's "official policy." 
 
 
---------------------------- 
U.S. VISIT A SHOW OF SUPPORT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Zebari told Charge that the PM's visit to the U.S. 
was a great success. He said that the PM and every member of 
the delegation came home knowing how much President Bush is 
committed to this government.  He added that the delegation 
was overwhelmed by Washington's efforts to make them feel 
welcome and pampered.  He admitted that the visit was hectic 
and comprehensive, exclaiming that the delegation felt like 
they met every single person in government.  He took credit 
for helping the PM handle criticism from Congress for his 
remarks on Lebanon.  Zebari said he tried to emphasize how 
far Iraq has come from when Saddam's army was ready to march 
on Israel. Zebari believed that the visit helped U.S. 
counterparts better recognize the challenges facing the GOI. 
 
 
SCOBEY 
SCOBEY