US embassy cable - 04AMMAN3380

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003380 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, KISL, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: ISLAMISTS CONDEMN MISTREATMENT OF IRAQI INMATES, 
CALL FOR ENDING COOPERATION WITH U.S. 
 
REF: AMMAN 03329 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David Hale for Reasons 1.5 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (U) The Jordanian Islamic Action Front (IAF), the 
political wing of the national Muslim Brotherhood, issued a 
scathing statement May 2 condemning U.S. mistreatment of 
Iraqi prisoners of war (POWs) and claiming that it proved 
American "contempt" for Islam and the Arab people.  The IAF 
alleged that the "crimes" that took place in the Abu Ghraib 
prison were only a small example of widespread and repeated 
"atrocities" committed by coalition forces since the 
beginning of the invasion of Iraq. 
 
2.  (U) The IAF statement further accused the U.S. of 
actively trying to silence the international media in order 
to keep secret its "gross human rights violations" in Iraq. 
It concluded by calling on all Arab and Muslim governments to 
immediately stop all "support for" and "cooperation with" the 
American administration. 
 
3.  (C)  COMMENT:  Once again the IAF is trying to raise its 
profile and increase it popularity on the street by 
exploiting anti-U.S. sentiment.  Although its indignation at 
the mistreatment of the POWs reflects the general public 
mood, its call for freezing relations with the U.S. does not. 
 While we will send separately an assessment of the political 
and public diplomacy impact of the Abu Ghraib story, we have 
already heard phrases such as "irreparable damage" to the 
U.S. image, from senior security officials.  American 
statements, including those from the President, are receiving 
little or no notice from the media.  Regardless of the truth, 
internal investigations are unlikely to gain credibility 
against the backdrop of skepticism of U.S. motives and a 
perception that prisoner abuses are widespread in 
U.S.-controlled Iraqi facilities.  It is clear from our 
initial soundings that the only way to reverse this public 
diplomacy disaster is to allow independent, credible 
investigators to get the facts out.  End Comment. 
 
4.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
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. 
HALE