US embassy cable - 02AMMAN3916

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN YOUTH UNCONVINCED ABOUT THE WAR ON 
TERRORISM; FEARFUL THAT THEY COULD BE ITS NEXT TARGET 
 
Ref: Amman 3330 
 
1.  The following cable is a report prepared by a foreign 
service national and based on extensive contacts in the 
student community. 
 
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Summary 
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2. Through the eyes of most Jordanian young adults, 
America's war on terrorism is a war on Islam and the Arabs. 
America's support for Israeli "oppression" of Palestinians - 
which they see as getting worse, not better since September 
11 -- is the main reason for this belief. A 20-year-old male 
sums it up: "Palestinians have suffered brutal oppression 
for the past 50 years under the Israelis. It is with 
American support and with American weaponry that Israel is 
able to do so." There is little popular support for current 
US foreign policy among Jordan's youth. This was evident 
when students burned American flags alongside the Israeli 
flag during the April demonstrations in a show of angry 
protest at America's "biased war." 
 
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Silenced politicized majority 
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3. POLFSN spoke recently with several dozen Jordanian 
students. Despite a broad sense of apathy and helplessness, 
these young adults were highly opinionated and politicized. 
Almost every youth interviewed talked about his/her 
inability to do anything about the "situation". Beyond 
calling for the destruction of Israel, burning flags, and 
boycotting American/Israeli goods, Jordanians feel powerless 
in the face of a campaign of such magnitude (i.e. the war on 
terrorism). "We are forbidden to talk politics, we are weak, 
we can't allow political movements, demonstrations....". The 
war on terrorism has highlighted their frustration with 
their own government as demonstrations and public speeches 
have been curtailed during moments of tension. 
 
4. There is a widespread perception among young adults that 
the Security Services are all too often willing to 
circumscribe freedom of expression in their effort to ensure 
stability. A Professor at the University of Jordan claims 
that students are "forbidden to talk or discuss terrorism 
because that would mean talking about Islamism and 
fundamentalism. Public talks are forbidden to delve into 
these themes - rather, they must speak in general, and not 
mention names, organizations, or the USA." They talk in 
symbols or in the privacy of their own homes, with people or 
professors they trust. When the Professor asks his students 
political questions in class, the answers are usually muted. 
"There is heavy GID presence in the classrooms and so 
students are afraid to voice their opinion, but they come to 
me in private, and they grasp ideas and they are vocal about 
their anger at American foreign policy." 
 
5. One common denominator in the feelings of young adults in 
Jordan is their opposition to America's war on terrorism. 
"It's not a fair war, they (USG) are taking sides, they are 
trying to be judges of the world, they give themselves the 
right to decide who is a terrorist and who is not - and it's 
not that simple", said one young adult. While many still do 
not believe for certain that Bin Laden was responsible for 
September 11, the majority is convinced of one thing: 
America is biased and America doesn't like the Muslim Arab 
world. This belief is entrenched, dangerously so, in the 
minds of many. When asked about what message they would like 
to send to the USG, the responses strike the same chord: "no 
one likes terrorism, but think before you act against people 
- and stop using September 11th in misguided ways." There is 
a perception that anyone who has an Arab name, and has a 
beard is automatically suspect. 
 
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Just how entrenched? 
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6. The following incident is worth mentioning as it sheds 
light on Anti-American (foreign policy) sentiment in youth 
circles. In mid-May, 5 professors were expelled from the 
Shariaa (religious) school of the University of Jordan 
(Reftel). Students with whom we spoke blame the USG for this 
outcome. Their rational is this: All the professors were 
graduates from Saudi Arabia, they were all appointed by the 
Jordanian government, never talked badly about Jordan or the 
King, and never received illegal foreign funding. "What 
could be the reason behind their expulsion if it weren't for 
America's campaign and crackdown on fundamentalism?" They 
conclude that because the professors were Saudi graduates, 
then the names of the professors must have come from America 
to the Jordanian government, and that is the reason behind 
their expulsion. 
 
7. Following the expulsion of the Professors, the University 
took harsh disciplinary action against three students - all 
from the Islamic movement in the University. Many students 
are fearful that the University may impose additional 
measures; student sources say that there possibly are twenty 
facing similar disciplinary action.  Two strikes were held 
in mid June, prompting the head of the Islamic Action Front 
to send a letter to the Prime Minster with regard to the 
perceived crackdown on students with an Islamic background. 
 
 
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Education not Punishment 
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8. A University of Jordan Professor of Sociology offered the 
following analysis and advice on how best to address the 
psycho-sociological reality of Jordan's youth: "Terrorism 
and violence are rooted in people's lives, understandings, 
and desperation. The war on terrorism should be geared to 
education. It is important to uproot the causes of violence, 
but if you want to fight the fighter, you will generate more 
strife." He advocated a more tolerant view to "dry the 
sources of discrimination and instead create more dialogue". 
Although the Professor did not see this as a war on Islam 
and the Arabs, he believes that many students view it as 
such because it is Arab Muslim countries that the US appears 
to be targeting. 
 
9. Comment: The main concern among many young Jordanians is 
that the tactics America is employing in its war on 
terrorism will, in the long run, only serve to intensify 
Arab feelings of being identified as the enemy - and that 
this is already having repercussions in the Middle East. 
Such a dynamic - many educated Jordanians note ironically - 
will only act to undermine support for the U.S. in Arab and 
Muslim countries -- support that is necessary for the US's 
war on terrorism to succeed. 
Gnehm