A Syrian man gestures during an anti-regime protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Amman, Jordan, Friday. (AP photo)

AMMAN — As Arab foreign ministers gather in Cairo today to reasses the Arab League’s response to the ongoing crisis in Syria, the debate will likely present several diplomatic challenges for Jordan, observers say.

With its own position tied to Arab consensus, observers say decision makers in Amman are left with few “good options” amidst warning signs that the 10-month-old crisis in its northern neighbour may be heading towards civil strife.

A series of competing proposals and suggestions have been made, ranging from withdrawing the Arab League’s one-month-old observer mission to deploying Arab troops onto Syrian soil.

Amidst the competing calls, one aspect is clear, according to analysts: The ongoing failure of the Arab League initiative to halt a military crackdown that has claimed the lives of over 5,000 civilians has placed Jordan in a “difficult spot”.

“It is difficult to have killings on your doorstep but at the same time geopolitical and economic realities have left Jordan with few attractive options,” said Marwan Muasher, former minister of foreign affairs and currently vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment.

A major dispute arises over the role of observers, with competing views on whether to increase the number of observers or to end the mission altogether.

According to diplomatic sources, there are no plans to withdraw Jordan’s team of 12 observers — the largest single contingent in the observer mission — with Amman likely to support efforts to extend the observer mission as the “best worst case scenario”.

“Jordan will continue to support efforts to give the Arab League every opportunity to carry out the Arab initiative to end the crisis,” said Samih Maaytah, political observer and head of Al Arab Al Yawm daily’s editorial board.

In today’s meetings, Jordan is expected to reaffirm its position on maintaining an “Arab solution” to the Syrian conflict, a position that analysts say Amman will find increasingly difficult to maintain following the struggles of an observer mission some claim was “doomed from the start”.

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