CODEL SPECTER'S AUDIENCE WITH KING HUSSEIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801070063-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 63
• Publication Date: August 16, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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OLL/LD
INCOMING
PAGE 001
TOR: 160025Z AUG 84
00 RUEAIIB
ZNY SSSSS ZOC STATE ZZH
STU3639
00 RUEHC
DE RUEHAM #7694/01 2281631
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
0 151624Z AUG 84
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2083
INFO RUEHAD/USINT BAGHDAD PRIORITY 5348
RUEHBL/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT PRIORITY 1280
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 4011
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 2207
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 8634
RUEHLD/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 6641
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 9501
INFO RUEHRH/USELO RIYADH PRIORITY 4792
RUEHJI/AMEMBASSY JIDDA PRIORITY 1102
eT
S E C R E T AMMAN 07694
E.D.12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, OVIP (SPECTER, ARLAN), JC, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SPECTER'S AUDIENCE WITH KING HUSSEIN
2. SUMMARY: KING HUSSEIN RECEIVED SENATOR ARLAN
SPECTER IN A ONE-HOUR AUDIENCE AT THE PALACE ON
MONDAY, AUGUST 14. THE KING EXPRESSED HIS PESSIMISM
OVER CHANCES FOR PROGRESS ON THE PEACE FRONT. HIS
THEME WAS THAT JORDAN REMAINS PREPARED TO ENTER
PEACE TALKS WITH ISRAEL WITHOUT CONDITIONS BASED ON
UNSC 242 (LAND FOR PEACE) BUT THAT WASHINGTON MUST
PLAY A MORE EVEN-HANDED ROLE AS MEDIATOR IF U.S.
IS TO REGAIN THE CENTRAL ROLE IN SUCH TALKS. THE KING
ALSO DISCUSSED ARAFAT AND THE PLO, JORDANIAN-SYRIAN
RELATIONS, THE AQABA PIPELINE (SEPTEL), AND
CONGRESSIONAL EFFORTS TO MOVE THE U.S. EMBASSY TO
JERUSALEM. END SUMMARY.
3. KING HUSSEIN RECEIVED SENATOR ARLAN SPECTER AND
HIS COUNSEL PAUL MICHELLE IN A ONE-HOUR AUDIENCE
HELD AT THE PALACE IN AMMAN AUGUST 14. THE MEETING
OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PARTY'S ARRIVAL FROM
CAIRO. ALSO ATTENDING WERE CHIEF OF ROYAL DIWAN
MARWAN KASIM, COURT MINISTER ADNAN ABU ODEH AND
CHARGE.
4. ASKED WHAT WERE HIS PRESENT VIEWS ON THE ARAB-ISRAEL
PROBLEM, THE KING REPLIED THAT HE SAW LITTLE CHANCE OF
PROGRESS TOWARD A SETTLEMENT IN THE NEAR TERM.
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IN FACT, THERE WAS A REAL QUESTION IN HIS MIND NOW
WHETHER THE TIME FOR ANY SETTLEMENT HAD PAST. HE
NOTED THE ISRAELI ELECTIONS AND THE MOVE TOWARD
EXTREMES, THE CONTINUED SETTLEMENTS ACTIVITY IN
THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, THE ONGOING DIVISIONS
IN THE ARAB WORLD, AND U.S. FAILURE TO PLAY AN
EVEN-HANDED ROLE AS ALL INHIBITING THE QUEST FOR
PEACE. HE DISCUSSED THESE POINTS IN GENERALLY
FAMILIAR TERMS.
5. THE SENATOR ASKED IF THE KING VIEWED PRESIDENT
REAGAN'S 1982 M.E. PEACE INITIATIVE AS EVEN-HANDED.
THE KING JUMPED IMMEDIATELY TO POINT OUT THAT JORDAN
HAD ACCEPTED THE REAGAN PLAN EVEN WHEN MANY OTHERS
IN THE AREA INCLUDING ISRAEL HAD REJECTED IT.
THERE WERE SOME AREAS THAT NEEDED CLARIFICATION,
BUT OVER ALL IT WAS A COURAGEOUS STEP BY THE
PRESIDENT. THE KING SAID HE WORKED HARD TO GET
OTHER ARAB STATES TO ACCEPT IT. HE POINTEDLY
EMPHASIZED A SECOND TIME THAT EVEN AMERICA'S
FRIENDS, THE ISRAELIS,HAD REJECTED IT; BUT JORDAN
HAD AGREED.
6. THE KING THEN CITED AN EXAMPLE OF LACK OF
EVEN HANDEDNESS: WHEN IN WASHINGTON IN FEBRUARY HE
HAD BROUGHT A DRAFT UNSC RESOLUTION ON SETTLEMENTS.
IT WAS "SHOT DOWN" BY WASHINGTON. IN FACT, HE SAID,
HE GOT NEGATIVE REPLIES ON SEVERAL ISSUES ON THE
SAME DAY. IN A SORT OF COUP DE GRAS THE KING
SAID HE REALLY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WASHINGTON ANYMORE.
HE HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM PRESIDENT
REAGAN SAYING HOW PLEASED HE WAS WITH THE KING'S
GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE AMBASSADOR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER
HE LEARNED THE AMBASSADOR WAS BEING REMOVED.
7. SENATOR SPECTER ASKED ABOUT ARAFAT'S ROLE.
HUSSEIN SAID ARAFAT HAD DEFINITELY BEEN WEAKENED
BY THE SPLIT IN THE PLO BUT THAT NO OTHER SPOKESMAN
HAD COME FORWARD. THE WEST BANKERS, HE SAID, WERE
THE ONES WHO HAD TO BE INVOLVED. AT ANOTHER POINT
THE KING DISMISSED ARAFAT WITH A WAVE OF THE HAND
SAYING THAT HE (THE KING) ALWAYS ADDRESSED HIS
LIMDIS
E.O.12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, OVIP (SPECTER, ARLAN). JO, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SPECTER'S AUDIENCE WITH KING HUSSEIN
REMARKS TO THOSE WHO COME TO AMMAN WITH ARAFAT.
ARAFAT MAY BE THE PALESTINIAN SPOKESMAN BUT HE
BRINGS A LOT OF PROBLEMS AS WELL. "THE PALESTINIANS
NEED A BETTER SPOKESMAN," HE CONCLUDED.
8. THE KING RAISED RECENT MOVES IN CONGRESS TO
LEGISLATE THE MOVE OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN ISRAEL
FROM TEL AVIV TO JERUSALEM AS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE
OF AMERICAN ACTIONS TAKEN TO THE DIRECT DETRIMENT
OF U.S. INTERESTS. DID THE SENATOR REALIZE HOW
EMOTIONAL AN ISSUE THIS WAS FOR ARABS? SENATOR
RESPONDED THAT HE HAD LEARNED IN HIS TALKS IN
SECRET
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CAIRO AND RIYADH JUST HOW MAJOR AN ISSUE THIS
WAS. HE NOTED THE PRESIDENT'S CLEAR OPPOSITION
TO ANY LEGISLATION AND SAID HE DID NOT EXPECT
CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION DURING THIS SESSION. OF
COURSE, HE ADDED, ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS COULD
EXERCISE HIS RIGHT TO INTRODUCE AN AMENDMENT TO
PENDING LEGISLATION. THE KING LINKED CONGRESSIONAL
ACTION ON JERUSALEM TO HIS EARLIER THEME THAT U.S.
WAS NO LONGER PLAYING AN EVEN-HANDED ROLE IN THE
AREA.
9. IN RESPONSE TO SENATOR SPECTER'S QUESTION
ON SYRIAN-JORDANIAN RELATIONS, THE KING DESCRIBED
THEM AS "TENSE", BUT ADDED "LESS SO NOW PERHAPS
THAN SEVERAL MONTHS AGO." HE SAID THERE WAS NO
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. IN FACT
RELATIONS HAD NOT BEEN GOOD SINCE SYRIA ENTERED
LEBANON IN FEBRUARY 1976. HE CITED THESE AREAS
OF DIFFICULTY:
-- (A) IRAQ/IRAN: SYRIA SUPPORTS IRAN WHILE
JORDAN SUPPORTS IRAQ. IRAN IS A THREAT TO THE
ENTIRE ARAB WORLD FOSTERING DISSENTION BETWEEN
SUNNI AND SHI'ITE MUSLIMS. ALSO IRAQ IS AN
ARAB LEAGUE COUNTRY AND SYRIA SHOULD STAND WITH
IRAQ AS JORDAN HAD BEEN PRESSED TO STAND WITH
OTHER ARAB STATES IN 1967 EVEN WHEN JORDAN KNEW
THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE DISASTROUS.
-- (B) PALESTINIANS: THE SYRIAN ATTITUDE TOWARD
THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM WAS "TO LEAVE IT TO
FUTURE GENERATIONS." HE EXPLAINED THAT SYRIA
ARGUED AGAINST ANY NEGOTIATIONS WITH ISRAEL
UNTIL THE ARABS (READ SYRIA) AND ISRAEL WERE ON
A MILITARY PARITY. THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN
BECAUSE THE U.S. WOULD ENSURE ISRAEL'S TECHNOLOGICAL
SUPERIORITY AND, FRANKLY, ISRAELIS ARE JUST
BETTER EDUCATED, TRAINED AND DISCIPLINED.
CONSEQUENTLY, THE SYRIANS ARE MERELY USING THIS
ARGUMENT TO PUT OFF DEALING WITH THE ISRAELIS TO
FUTURE GENERATIONS. IN THE MEANTIME THE SYRIANS
MANEUVER TO KEEP JORDAN, THE PALESTINIANS AND
OTHER ARABS CROM REACHING A COMMON UNDERSTANDING
ON HOW TO TALK WITH THE ISRAELIS NOW. THEY
ARE THE "SPOILERS" IN THE REGION, HE SAID.
-- (C) EGYPT: EGYPT IS PART OF THE ARAB WORLD
AND THERE MUST BE SOME SEMBLANCE OF RELATIONS.
SYRIA HAS REFUSED TO OPEN A DIALOGUE WITH EGYPT
IN CONTRAST TO JORDAN WHICH HAS GOOD RELATIONS (SIC).
SYRIA HAS FOILED ALL EFFORTS TO REGULARIZE
RELATIONS WITH EGYPT. JORDAN, ON THE OTHER HAND,
WORKED OPENLY AT CASABLANCA AT THE ISLAMIC
CONFERENCE TO HELP EGYPT RETURN TO ITS TRADITIONAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH ARAB GOVERNMENTS.
10. COMMENT: THE KING PROVIDED SENATOR WITH A
COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT MIDDLE EAST
SITUATION. HE BEMOANED THE LACK OF PROGRESS
TOWARD PEACE IN RECENT YEARS AND EXPRESSED HIS
LIMDIS
E.C.12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL, OVIP (SPECTER, ARLAN), JO, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SPECTER'S AUDIENCE WITH KING HUSSEIN
SECRET
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OWN PESSIMISM FOR THE FUTURE GIVEN THE TRENDS
IN ISRAEL AND THE ARAB WORLD. HE STRONGLY URGED
THE U.S. TO PLAY A MORE EVEN-HANDED ROLE IN THE
REGION. IN DOING SO, AND IN FAILING TO MENTION
THE SOVIET PROPOSAL ON A GENEVA-TYPE PEACE
CONFERENCE, THE KING LEFT THE IMPRESSION THAT IN
SPITE OF OTHER PUBLIC REMARKS HE HAS NOT ALL
TOGETHER WRITTEN THE U.S. OUT OF A LEADING ROLE
IN THE PEACE PROCESS. HE CONTINUES TO HOPE FOR
A U.S. INITIATIVE THAT HE CAN SUPPORT.
SECRET
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