US embassy cable - 02AMMAN6154

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006154 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, JO 
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS: STATUS OF JSCR; MB DEMONSTRATION 
TACTICS 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 5838 
 
     B. AMMAN 5576 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION GREGORY L. BERRY.  REASONS:  1.5 
 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY  The President of the Jordanian Society for 
Citizens' Rights (JSCR) told us October 14 that despite the 
recent reports of a GOJ "walkback" from its threat to close 
the JSCR (reftel A), he remains concerned that the JSCR will 
be rendered ineffective by a rumored new GOJ-appointed board 
of directors.  In addition, he reported that the MB is 
planning to organize anti-USG demonstrations outside of Amman 
in areas where tribal influence is high in order to obviate a 
potentially harsh GOJ response.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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THE FATE OF THE JSCR 
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2.  (C) JSCR President Fawzi Samhoury told PolOff October 14 
that, although the GOJ now states that the JSCR can remain 
open if it complies with the law, he is still worried about 
the final outcome of GOJ action.  Samhoury said there are 
rumors that the JSCR will have to accept a new board 
appointed by the GOJ, and is worried that such a move would 
emasculate the JSCR.  "If they take away the independence of 
my society, I will not participate in it anymore," he said. 
Hinting that GOJ scrutiny of the JSCR was in retaliation for 
his reporting on human rights, Samhoury said he recently met 
with Dr. Khaled Tahayneh of the Foreign Ministry, who told 
him that the GOJ is in particular upset that the USG's Human 
Rights Report for 2001 contained information about 
Palestinian-Jordanians who have lost their passports due to 
implementation of disengagement laws.  "They know that I am 
your source for this information," he said. 
 
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MB ORGANIZING DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE AMMAN 
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3. (C)  Samhoury reported that the MB is planning to organize 
anti-USG demonstrations outside of Amman, "where there are 
fewer Palestinians and the tribal leaders have greater 
control."  He said that the MB believes security forces will 
be less likely to use excessive force against demonstrators 
in tribal-controlled locations and thus people will be less 
inhibited from demonstrating.  Samhoury reported that the 
hawkish Ahmed Kawfahi of the MB gave a speech last Friday at 
the local mosque in Tafileh in an attempt to organize a 
future demonstration there.  When a local Ministry of 
Religious Affairs-appointed Imam objected, Kawfahi physically 
pushed him aside.  Samhoury said that the MB plans to hold 
several demonstrations in small cities such as Tafileh, but 
his sources had no further specifics. 
 
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COMMENT 
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4. (C)  This was our first meeting with Samhoury since the 
GOJ signaled that it may not, after all, dissolve the JSCR. 
Samhoury is still patient, but is worried about the future of 
the JSCR and the potential for it to be emasculated by a 
rumored GOJ-appointed board of directors.  We have not heard 
any indications from other sources that the GOJ is 
considering such a move, but will closely monitor the 
situation. 
GNEHM