US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7594

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007594 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, PTER, JO 
SUBJECT: AQABA CROSSING SHOOTING, RIYADH AND ISTANBUL 
BOMBINGS, INCREASE TENSIONS IN JORDAN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b and d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C)  In the aftermath of the shooting of foreign tourists 
at the southern Jordanian-Israeli border and bombings in 
Riyadh and Istanbul, Jordan is in a state of heightened alert 
as the country prepares for the week-long holiday marking the 
end of Ramadan.  Security authorities believe the Jordanian 
truck driver who killed one foreign tourist and injured 
several others in a shooting rampage at the southern 
Jordanian-Israeli border area on November 19 acted alone, but 
the incident underscores the difficulty in guarding against 
such random acts of violence.  Meanwhile, some Jordanians are 
beginning to express fear for their personal security, 
particularly after the bombing of a residential compound in 
Riyadh that housed mainly Arabs.  Several predicted worse is 
yet to come and expressed their (unsubstantiated but still 
felt) fear that Jordan "is due" for something big.  End 
Summary. 
 
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JORDANIAN KILLS FOREIGN TOURIST, INJURES FOUR OTHERS 
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2. (U)  On November 19, a Jordanian truck driver believed to 
be of Palestinian descent opened fire at the 
Jordanian-Israeli border, wounding five members of a South 
American tourist group before Israeli security guards shot 
the gunman to death.  One of the tourists later died from her 
wounds.  The Jordanian government immediately condemned the 
attack.  "This was an individual act by a sole gunman," 
declared GOJ spokesperson Asma Khader shortly after the 
shooting.  "The government condemns this incident and 
Jordan's stance is clear against any acts of violence that 
target civilians."  She did not elaborate on the gunman's 
motivations, saying only he was a "Jordanian citizen living 
in Zarqa," a predominately Palestinian town northeast of 
Amman. 
 
3.  (C)  Public GOJ statements about the incident reflect the 
assessment of RSO police contacts, who reported that the 
gunman regularly transported cattle between Jordan and 
Israel.  They added that another Jordanian truck driver 
injured in the incident was the gunman's assistant and may 
have been sitting in the truck at the time of the shooting. 
However, it is unknown whether the assistant, who according 
to press was taken to a Jordanian hospital for treatment, was 
involved in the attack. 
 
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JORDANIANS BEEFING UP ALREADY TIGHT SECURITY 
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4.  (C)  As a result of the attack and recent bombings in 
Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Jordanian security authorities have 
increased their already strong and visible presence in 
Jordanian cities and roadways throughout the country. 
Authorities will remain on alert in anticipation of 
increasing numbers of Jordanian and foreign tourists flocking 
to resort areas such as Aqaba, Petra, and the Dead Sea during 
the coming weeklong 'Eid holiday marking the end of Ramadan. 
Security services are taking steps to increase security at 
softer targets, including hotels, schools, and residences. 
 
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LOCALS ATTUNED TO RISING THREAT 
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5.  (C)  Personal security concerns are no longer the purview 
of foreigners in Jordan.  Some Jordanians, shocked that Arab 
women and children were among the dead and wounded in the 
bombing of a residential compound in Riyadh earlier this 
month, are beginning to express fear for their own safety in 
Jordan.  During a recent dinner party with a group of 
twenty-something, mostly Western-educated, young Jordanians, 
a significant part of the conversation focused on their 
personal security fears.  One young woman told poloff she had 
a recurring nightmare of a hijacked plane crashing into 
Amman.  Another said that given Jordan's less than secret 
support for the war in Iraq, close ties to the U.S., and 
deplorable Palestinian situation, she believed Jordan "was 
due" for a big attack.  Several Jordanians inside and outside 
government expressed the fear that given rising frustration 
in the region over the political situation, worse is yet to 
come. 
 
6.  (C)  Despite the Riyadh bombing, many Jordanians believe 
that Westerners will continue to be the primary target. 
Several expressed the view that the bombers in Saudi Arabia 
probably preferred an official Western target or a compound 
housing Americans, but were deterred by stringent security. 
Former Palace advisor, Jordanian-Palestinian Adnan Abu Odeh 
opined that the bombers' willingness to target Arabs will 
diminish their support base among Muslims who may have 
thought in the past that terrorism was a justified means to a 
legitimate political end.  However, he said it also 
demonstrates their increasing desperation, which in his view 
makes them more dangerous. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  (C)  The attack in the southern Jordan-Israel border 
crossing near popular tourist destinations of Aqaba and Eilat 
-- an area thus far largely spared violence during the 
three-year intifadah -- is disturbing.  The attack 
underscores the increasing threat of -- and difficulty in 
protecting against -- spontaneous, random acts of violence 
from ordinary Jordanians frustrated by politics or personal 
circumstances. 
GNEHM