US embassy cable - 05AMMAN6740

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006740 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2015 
TAGS: MOPS, PTER, ASEC, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: REACTION TO AUGUST 19 ATTACK IN AQABA 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 6694 (NOTAL) 
     B. TD-314/50178-05 
     C. TD-314/50241-05 
     D. TD-314/50103-05 
     E. TD-314/50404-05 
 
Classified By: CDA Christopher Henzel, Reasons 1.4 (B) & (D) 
 
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The Investigation 
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1.  (S/NF) The GOJ is conducting an intense security 
operation in Aqaba, and has detained some 300 people. 
However, the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate 
informs us that it has not yet reached any conclusions as to 
who may have been responsible for the launch of the three 
Katyusha rockets (ref b).  Amman RMAS, RSO and DAO officers, 
as well as personnel from the Kearsarge group, are in Aqaba 
coordinating with Jordanian authorities on the investigation. 
 At GOJ request, a team of FBI explosives experts is on its 
way to Jordan. 
 
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U.S. Forces 
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2.  (S/NF)  Amman DAO, CENTCOM and the Jordanian Armed Forces 
(JAF) are working out plans to return to the Kearsarge group 
the roughly 770 U.S. Marines who had been conducting 
exercises inland at Qatraneh, probably no later than August 
24. 
 
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GOJ Posture 
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3. (C) Palace officials told Charge that King Abdullah 
(currently in Russia) has instructed the GOJ to emphasize 
this incident as an attack by extremists on moderate Islam 
and on Jordanians, and to focus on the death of a Jordanian 
soldier and the fact that one rocket struck the wall of a 
hospital.  The King is expected back within two or three 
days.  His brother, Prince Feisal, is serving as regent, and 
he has struck a high media profile at military and religious 
funeral rites for the soldier who died.   Post has conveyed 
condolences on the soldier's death to the palace and to JAF 
headquarters. 
 
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Public Reaction 
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4. (C) Taking their cue from the government, Jordanian media 
have either ignored or downplayed the fact that U.S. navy 
vessels were the target.   Coverage of the soldier's funeral, 
and his father's comments that he was a martyr for the King 
and for Jordan, saturated local media.  The director general 
at the influential Al-dostour daily noted to PAO that 
informed journalists know that joint military and naval 
training exercises are a routine element in the US-Jordanian 
relationship and are &therefore not noteworthy in this 
case.8  Others either don't know about the exercises or have 
gotten the government's message and are ignoring them.  There 
has been significant coverage of the detention of Iraqis, 
Egyptians and Syrians in the Aqaba round-ups. One marginal 
weekly (Al-Anbat) and one editorial comment in today's 
mainstream press imply links between the increasing 
involvement of the U.S. in Jordan's political-military scene 
and this attack targeting Jordan, without drawing any direct 
explicit connections. 
 
5.  (C) Post has received numerous calls from contacts in 
parliament, civil society and academia who without exception 
have condemned the attacks.  Many stressed that the while a 
U.S. naval vessel may have been targeted, they considered the 
attacks as an act of terrorism against Jordan.  Several 
expressed their fears that the rocket attacks would 
negatively affect tourism in Aqaba, as well as Jordan's 
hard-earned reputation for stability and security.  Mohammad 
Al-Badri, one of two MPs from Aqaba, assured poloff that the 
overwhelming majority of people in Aqaba welcomed Americans 
and were "horrified" by the attacks.  A few contacts remarked 
that they were "not surprised" that terrorist violence 
elsewhere in the region had finally reached Jordan.   The 
Islamic Action Front has not yet spoken out publicly on the 
attack. 
 
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Post security 
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6. (SBU)  RSO placed the Marine security guard detachment on 
standby and the local guard force and roving patrols on 
alert.  Post's surveillance detection unit (SDU) increased 
coverage around the Mission, residences and the American 
Language Center (ALC).  In response to post's request, the 
GOJ has augmented its security coverage around Embassy, 
Embassy residential areas, the ALC, and the American 
Community School (ACS). 
HENZEL