US embassy cable - 04AMMAN2764

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002764 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, KISL, JO 
SUBJECT: GOJ AND MPS BRISTLE AT ALLEGATIONS BY JORDANIAN 
ISLAMISTS 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 2555 
     B. AMMAN 2520 
     C. AMMAN 2395 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (b), (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) The Islamic Action Front (IAF) has denounced 
legislators who voted to approve a recent tax increase, 
prompting strong reaction from government officials.  The GOJ 
also responded forcefully to allegations that it may have 
fabricated reports of a recent terrorist threat to the 
country.  The Islamists have refused to back down and dropped 
hints that IAF legislators might consider withdrawing from 
Parliament (most unlikely).  One observer believes that some 
Islamists have misinterpreted PM Fayez's outreach efforts as 
"a sign of weakness," emboldening them to confront the 
government.  For his part, Fayez may have had unrealistic 
expectations about his ability to co-opt the Islamists 
through dialogue.  End Summary. 
 
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STRONG RESPONSE TO IAF CRITICISM 
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2.  (U) IAF members of Parliament strongly criticized fellow 
MPs who approved the recent hike in the general sales tax, 
alleging that they had voted against the interests of the 
country.  IAF foes struck back, with 36 MPs publicly 
denouncing the IAF for "casting doubt on the national stance 
of deputies" who voted for the tax hike, and accusing IAF 
members of "seeking to achieve narrow personal and partisan 
interests" through their attacks. 
 
3.  (U) In an interview April 2 on the Jordan TV news program 
"60 Minutes," Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez stressed the 
government's "partnership" with Parliament.  He said that the 
tax increase had been scaled back from the GOJ's original 
proposal in light of MP's concerns, and that he had twice met 
with members of the IAF before the tax law was approved to 
explain the country's financial situation.  "I sat with them 
for five hours at the Parliament and another five hours at 
the residence of (IAF) MP Azzam Huneidi," said Fayez. 
Claiming that the IAF "does not represent the Jordanian 
street" and had "lost (its) balance," he further stated, "The 
problem of political work in Jordan is that some say 
reasonable things behind closed doors, but after that, they 
release statements to woo their electoral bases." 
 
4.  (C) Subsequent efforts at rapprochement, spearheaded by 
the inexperienced Minister of Political Development & 
Parliamentary Affairs, Mohammad Daoudiyeh, made little 
headway.  IAF members continued to complain strenuously about 
Fayez's TV comments.  IAF MP Ali Abul Sukkar (Zarqa-2nd 
District), for example, told the press that Fayez's comments 
betrayed the government's purported policy of conducting 
domestic politics "based on dialogue and respect of each 
other's opinions."  Reacting to GOJ claims that it did not 
offer "practical solutions" to the country's financial 
situation, the IAF issued a statement saying that Jordanians 
could have been spared a sales tax increase if the government 
applied "better tax collection measures."  Moreover, the 
Islamists alleged that a rise in the price of fuel could have 
been avoided by improving the performance of the Jordan 
Petroleum Refinery Company. 
 
5.  (U) Daoudiyeh likewise failed to take a conciliatory tone 
in his words to the media.  "The IAF issues dozens of 
statements in the past against the government ... We 
refrained from responding ... But what prompted the premier's 
reply this time were the recent harmful and slanderous 
remarks issued by the (IAF)," said Daoudiyeh.  During a 
government press conference April 5, Daoudiyeh strongly 
denounced IAF Secretary General Hamzeh Mansour for alleging 
that the GOJ fabricated reports of terrorists entering Jordan 
with explosives-laden vehicles (see ref a) for political 
reasons.  "These allegations are totally inaccurate.  Why 
would a government terrorize its own children and women, and 
at the same time tarnish its reputation and destroy its 
internal and external interests?" 
 
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IAF REFUTES CRIMINAL CHARGES 
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6.  (SBU) A March 26 clash at the Wihdat refugee camp 
following the Israeli killing of Sheikh Yassin (see ref c) 
provided yet another source of friction between the IAF and 
the GOJ.  Islamist legislators accused security forces of 
improperly detaining IAF activists (some 60 people total were 
arrested) and assaulting IAF MP Tayseer al-Fityani (West 
Banker, Amman-2nd District) during violence at the camp.  On 
April 5, state prosecutor Mahmoud Obeidat formally charged 
two IAF deputies (including Fityani) and six other IAF 
members with participating in riots and illegal assembly.  He 
ordered their detention for two weeks, but released them on 
bail of 2,000 Jordanian dinars (roughly 2,800 USD) each the 
same day.  An official IAF statement called this action "a 
dangerous precedent and an insult that tarnishes the image of 
the country's Lower House deputies."  (NOTE: The immunity 
from prosecution that MPs enjoy while Parliament is in 
session ended when the legislature concluded its regular 
session April 1.) 
 
7.  (U) On April 7, Obeidat added five charges against the 
two MPs including damaging public property, slandering the 
King, and demeaning and burning the Jordanian flag.  Obeidat 
told the press the new charges were prompted by a videotape 
of the demonstration showing the two deputies speaking.  Abul 
Ragheb countered that the two "only spoke of people who 
normalized with Israel and did not utter any statements that 
were slanderous to his Majesty."  Meanwhile, a Jordanian 
Muslim Brotherhood (MB) spokesperson told London daily 
Al-Hayat that "the Jordanian street" was demanding the 
resignation of the 17 IAF deputies from Parliament due to the 
"government's escalation against Islamist leaders."  Muslim 
Brotherhood Controller General Abdul Majeed al-Dhunaibat 
similarly announced that Jordanian Islamist groups were 
insisting on the resignation of Islamist MPs "in view of the 
return to the suppression of freedoms and the backing down on 
the democratic course." 
 
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FAYEZ TO RETHINK STRATEGY? 
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8.  (C) Ali Hindawi, Chairman of the Legislative Board at the 
Prime Minister's office, told PolOff April 4 that PM Fayez 
had grown disillusioned with his efforts to engage the IAF 
given recent events.  According to Hindawi, some within the 
IAF and/or Muslim Brotherhood had misinterpreted the PM's 
attempts to reach out to Islamists as a "sign of weakness" 
which in turn had emboldened them to take a more 
confrontational approach vis-a-vis the government.  While 
Hindawi did not state that Fayez would end his dialogue with 
Islamists, he intimated that the PM might reevaluate his soft 
approach in dealing with the Islamic movement.  Fayez 
subsequently held a meeting April 11 with Islamist leaders 
who demanded that the GOJ thoroughly investigate the Wihdat 
riot and to drop all charges against IAF members.  Little 
progress in resolving differences was reportedly made. 
 
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COMMENT 
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9.  (C) Jordanians have grown unaccustomed to open political 
tussles between government and opposition, so this episode 
garnered widespread attention.  While the IAF may be the main 
opposition body in the Parliament, it has been careful to 
balance criticism against the GOJ on some issues with a 
degree of cooperation on others to avoid alienating the 
government and risking a possible backlash.  We doubt the IAF 
MPs will resign since the movement generally recognizes that 
it lost political ground during its self-imposed absence from 
Parliament from 1997-2003.  It is ironic that Fayez's 
outreach to Islamists, intended to build consensus, may have 
instead contributed to a more combative IAF and greater 
resulting political discord.  However, it may have been naive 
of Fayez to believe he could co-opt the IAF through dialogue 
alone. 
 
Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ or through the 
Department of State's SIPRNET site. 
GNEHM