US embassy cable - 04AMMAN6213

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, KDEM, JO 
SUBJECT: KING URGES GOVERNMENT TO PULL UP ITS SOCKS 
 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) King Abdullah wrote a critical letter to Prime 
Minister Faisal Fayez on July 20 prodding the government to 
take action on the priorities that the King laid out at the 
formation of the government in October 2003. Debate ranges on 
whether the tone of the letter indicates a reaffirmation of 
support for the government or a warning that changes may be 
at hand. The King clearly states in the letter that the 
efforts of the government should "improve the living 
standards of citizens." Royal Court Minister Rifai described 
the letter to Charge as a "wake-up call" to the cabinet - and 
a list of unaccomplished goals that had been bothering the 
King. End Summary. 
 
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Jolt of Energy, Focus on Education 
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2. (C) Royal Court Minister Samir Rifai told the Charge July 
22 that the purpose of the King's letter was to issue a 
wake-up call to a drifting cabinet. By listing the aims which 
the King had identified when he appointed the government, but 
which had not been achieved, the King wanted to prod action. 
This development comes against the backdrop of intense 
infighting, backbiting, and competition among senior regime 
figures, principally Rifai himself, GID Chief Saad Kheir, and 
PM Fayez - in particular, Rifai said, the King was concerned 
with Islamist influence in the education system, a concern 
that was partially behind the letter. Rifai said the King has 
pressed Education Minister Touqan to "clean out" the ministry 
and schools, replacing Islamists appointed in the early 90s 
under an Islamist minister with progressives. Press reports 
indicate that Touqan this week replaced the two secretaries 
general in the ministry, and discussions in the ministry 
indicate that he intends to tackle office directors in the 
near future. More broadly, Rifai said the King also wants to 
"re-direct" university studies into more productive areas 
focused on the job market. He claimed that out of 180,000 
university students in Jordan, "only 1,000" are working on 
"practical studies," with 20,000 in Islamic studies. The rest 
are studying less useful subjects. The King's letter calls on 
the government to realign studies to meet the needs of the 
market. Particularly, he calls for a focus on technology, 
"because technology has become the decisive factor in 
measuring peoples' progress and prosperity." 
 
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Moderate Islamic Teachings 
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3. (SBU) The King's letter calls on the country's Muslim 
clerics to take a greater role in promoting and appreciating 
the true values and principles of Islam. In particular he 
called on them to reinforce the ideas of tolerance, 
moderation and interaction while eliminating provocative and 
divisive rhetoric. Christian leaders expressed their support 
for the King's remarks to PolCouns July 21. They viewed the 
letter as a call to increase dialogue and interaction with 
their Muslim counterparts. They felt that the King hoped to 
counter the teachings of Islamic extremists by calling 
moderate Imams to action. 
 
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Members of Parliament Debate Meaning 
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4. (U) Debate in Parliament on July 21 focused on the intent 
of the letter. Many members of Parliament expressed their 
wide ranging views in the local press. Some took the letter 
as a clear reaffirmation of support of the government in 
order to quell rumors that changes were on the way. Other 
members felt that the letter served as a final notice that 
the government must show some progress in the areas of human 
development, education, health care, tourism and agriculture. 
Still others felt the meaning of the letter was blurred as it 
both criticized and supported the government. 
 
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Cabinet Prepares Response 
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5. (U) Following local political tradition, Fayez has 
reportedly met with the Cabinet July 22 to draft a response 
to the King's letter. The response is expected to highlight 
accomplishments of the past eight months and provide a 
statement of future action based on the original letter of 
designation written by the King to Fayez when the new 
government was formed in October 2003. The response will 
reportedly be delivered to the King on July 23. 
HALE