US embassy cable - 02AMMAN5173

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 005173 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR TUCKER ASKEW 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: OUTSPOKEN JORDANIAN MP SAYS IRAQIS DON'T LIKE 
SADDAM, BUT WOULD FIGHT FOR HIM IF FACED WITH A U.S. 
INVASION 
 
Classified By: A/DCM Douglas A. Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C)  In a recent rambling conversation with A/DCM, 
Mahmoud Kharabsheh (please protect), an outspoken former 
Jordan MP and former provincial intelligence chief, said that 
most average Iraqis would not/not support a U.S. military 
strike on Iraq aimed at overthrowing the regime.  He said 
that, based on monthly trips into Iraq for business 
negotiations and conversations with "Iraqi friends" in 
Jordan, most Iraqis do not like Saddam Hussein or the 
"Tikriti regime," and would be very happy to see the 
government fall and Saddam leave the scene.  He claimed, 
however, that all the Iraqis with whom he had spoken had had 
a viscerally negative reaction to the possibility of a U.S. 
invasion, even if the purpose of the strike was to change the 
regime.  Kharabsheh claimed that several of his business 
contacts pledged that they would pick up arms and fight any 
U.S. assault.  Kharabsheh speculated that his Iraqi contacts 
felt that the "dishonor" of possible foreign military 
intervention was worse than the continuation of the current 
"brutal" Iraqi regime. 
 
2.  (C)  In addition, Kharabsheh continued, U.S. Military 
action against Iraq would solidify the "strong and growing" 
feeling of anti-Americanism in the Arab street.  "If you 
invade Iraq," he argued forcefully, "you will create a new 
generation of (anti-American) mujaheddin (holy warriors), 
just the way you did fighting (the Soviets) in Afghanistan." 
 
3.  (C)  COMMENT:  Based on previous conversations, we know 
Kharabsheh to be personally opposed to U.S. military action 
against Iraq, and he almost certainly exaggerated his 
arguments to make a rhetorical point.  Nonetheless, both of 
his points -- that Iraqis will not welcome U.S. military 
actions and that military action will inspire a new 
generation of anti-American violence -- are themes that we 
have been hearing more in Jordan in recent weeks as the U.S. 
public debate about the possibility of military action has 
increased.  There are many variations on the theme, including 
a remark by a Baghdad-based Western diplomat that the Iraqi 
civilian majority -- hating and fearing the regime, but 
mistrustful of promises by outsiders -- will simply "lock the 
doors, close the shutters, and wait it all out." 
BERRY