US embassy cable - 04AMMAN6507

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006507 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2014 
TAGS: PTER, ASEC, JO, IQ 
SUBJECT: JORDAN-IRAQ HOSTAGE CRISIS ESCALATES 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 6456 
     B. AMMAN 6370 
 
Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (U)  Jordanian officials on August 3 confirmed that yet 
another Jordanian has been kidnapped in Iraq, bringing the 
total number of hostages to seven.  Foreign Minister Muasher 
said that the government is exerting "huge" efforts to win 
their release, and is keeping the families apprised of 
developments.  He added that the ministry had full names of 
the hostages and is in contact with all the "related 
parties," but he refused to divulge details.  He noted that 
the GOJ's efforts are complicated by the fact that the 
kidnappers have not issued specific demands from the 
Jordanian government. 
 
2.  (U)  Family members of two of the four truckers seized on 
July 27 told reporters they have been in contact with the 
purported kidnappers, who assured them of the hostages' 
safety (for now).  Family members of Ahmad Abu Jafaar said 
they received several phone calls on July 31 and they were 
able to speak to Ahmad, who assured them he was in good 
hands.  Dubai television reported the same day that the 
kidnappers of the four had telephoned the station to complain 
no one had contacted them to see their release and threatened 
to "change the treatment" of the captives.  The station had 
aired video of a group calling itself "Death Squad of 
Mujahideen of Iraq" that claimed to hold the four truckers. 
The militants called on the Jordanian people to pressure 
their government to end its support for U.S. forces and for 
companies that deal with them to pull out. 
 
3.  (U)  According to family members, the abductors asked 
them to organize a protest to show support for the armed 
group and its resistance against U.S. forces, which was held 
after Friday prayers in Irbid.  According to Abu Jafaar, "We 
did it to help release our brothers."  Al-Jazeera aired 
footage of an unidentified man addressing a group who were 
holding pictures of the kidnapped Jordanians.  He said: "We 
know that the Islamic resistance in Iraq is an honorable 
Islamic resistance calling for jihad for the sake of God.  We 
all sacrifice ourselves to pursue jihad for the sake of God. 
Accordingly, we ask them to release our brothers who have 
always served the Iraq people." 
 
4.  (C)  Comment:  While most Jordanians condemn the 
kidnappings of their countrymen, many nevertheless blame an 
unpopular U.S. occupation for the chaos in Iraq and resulting 
hostage situation.  Expressions of empathy for the kidnappers 
and their cause of "resistance," as well as calls for the GOJ 
to scale back its support for our efforts in Iraq, may 
increase as the crisis drags on. 
 
5.  (U)  Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ 
or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET 
home page. 
HALE