US embassy cable - 05AMMAN8957

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 008957 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PTER, JO, Amman Hotel Bombing 
SUBJECT: OUTRAGED JORDANIANS RALLY AROUND KING AFTER HOTEL 
BOMBINGS; NEW ANTI-TERROR MEASURES ANNOUNCED 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 8845 (NOTAL) 
     B. AMMAN 8835 
     C. AMMAN 8829 
 
Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) The November 9 hotel bombings have sparked national 
outrage.  Thousands of Jordanians have demonstrated 
peacefully around the country and pledged their support for 
King Abdullah.  Polling data shows an abrupt decline in 
support for al-Qaeda, with a large majority (87%) now 
describing it as a "terrorist organization."  A few voices, 
however, still attempt to shift responsibility for terrorism 
to the U.S. or Israel.  The GOJ has announced new regulations 
aimed against foreign militants.  It also intends to draft 
new legislation that would prohibit the promotion or 
justification of terrorist acts.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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POPULAR OUTCRY 
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2.  (C) Jordan is united in a mood of defiance after the 
November 9 terrorist bombings, with a determination to fight 
back and resume normal lives.  Outraged Jordanians have 
universally condemned the attacks against three Amman hotels 
(refs A-C).  Anger over the bombings spans the entire 
political spectrum, and includes groups such as the Muslim 
Brotherhood and Islamist-led opposition parties that are 
critical of Jordan's close relationship with the U.S. (ref 
C).  Post contacts ranging from senior government officials 
to working-class Jordanians have described the attacks as 
"senseless," "cowardly," and "a sin against Islam."  Many 
also expressed relief that none of the bombers were 
Jordanian.  Initial statements by Islamist-leaning MPs Khalil 
Ateyeh (West Banker, Amman) and Abdullah al-Akayleh (East 
Banker, Tafliah) that such bombings were acceptable against 
"occupiers," but not against Jordanians, were quickly 
silenced by the popular mood. 
 
3.  (C) Public anger over the bombings has translated into a 
surge of patriotism and support for the monarch.  Rallying 
around their King, thousands of Jordanians have demonstrated 
peacefully around the country against the attacks.  Along 
with placards calling for "Death to Zarqawi!", many 
demonstrators carried pictures of King Abdullah and pledged 
their support for Jordan's security forces.  Many of these 
events were arranged by the government, but many others were 
reportedly spontaneous in nature or organized by traditional 
opposition groups, such as the Islamist-dominated 
professional associations.  The enthusiasm and sustained 
nature of the demonstrations could not have resulted from GID 
choreography.  Countless Jordanians have affixed flags and 
others symbols of the country to their homes and cars.  In a 
special session of parliament on November 12, lower house 
Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali declared that "the attacks have 
enhanced the Jordanian people's unity and steadfastness 
behind their Hashemite leadership."  A few liberal contacts 
have privately expressed concern that the surge of 
nationalism will lead society and government to become less 
tolerant of dissent, but for now these concerns are absent 
from the media. 
 
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A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE? 
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4.  (C) The hotel bombings may signal a turning point in the 
Jordanian public's attitude toward al-Qaeda and the Iraqi 
insurgency.  According to post contacts and press editorials, 
the killing of innocent Muslims in the blasts, especially the 
carnage wrecked on the Da'as-Alami wedding at the Radisson, 
was an eye-opener for the mainly poor and intensely religious 
Jordanians who had condoned al-Qaeda terrorist operations in 
Iraq and elsewhere.  For example, Dr. Dureid Mahashneh - 
businessman, lecturer, and negotiator for the Jordan-Israel 
peace treaty - told polcouns that many Jordanians who once 
sympathized with the so-called resistance in Iraq might now 
re-assess their views.  He doubted, however, that there would 
be any change of opinion among Jordanians who see suicide 
attacks against Israelis as justifiable.  Deputy Speaker of 
the Chamber of Deputies Mamdouh Abbadi (East Banker - Amman) 
told reporters that the number of al-Qaeda sympathizers in 
Jordan "went down, down, and down some more" after the 
November 9 bombings.  Similarly, columnist and political 
analyst Jamil Nimri said that support for al-Qaeda in Jordan 
"is going to dwindle tremendously." 
 
5.  (U) In a new survey published by independent Arabic daily 
al-Ghad on November 16, 87.1% of the 1,014 adult respondents 
- chosen to be demographically representative of the country 
- said they believed that al-Qaeda was a "terrorist 
organization," compared to 7.4% who held the opposite view. 
Roughly 78% and 13% of respondents had, respectively, a "very 
negative" or "somewhat negative" opinion of al-Qaeda, while 
5.4% had a "very" or "somewhat" positive opinion. 
Approximately 64% said their views on al-Qaeda had changed 
for the worse after the November 9 bombings; 65% responded 
that the bombings would not negatively impact public life in 
Jordan. 
 
6.  (U)  Dr. Musa Shtui, sociology professor and director of 
the Jordanian Center for Social Studies, told al-Ghad that 
the public's view of al-Qaeda had shifted "radically" 
following the November 9 attacks.  Past opinion polling in 
Jordan had shown strong support for al-Qaeda because of its 
defiance of deeply unpopular American and Israeli policies in 
the region.  According to Shtui, the hotel bombings, however, 
had forced Jordanians to see first-hand the "criminal nature" 
of the organization and had exposed its underlying ideology. 
 
7.  (SBU) Not everyone in Jordan has blamed Islamic 
extremists for the attacks.  A few fringe Jordanians, seizing 
on a Ha'aretz report (subsequently withdrawn) that Israelis 
were evacuated from the Days Inn before/before the blasts, 
choose to see the Mossad's hands in the bombings.  Member of 
parliament Neriman al-Rusan (East Banker, Irbid) told Al 
Jazeera that the Amman bombings - as well as the September 11 
attacks in the U.S. - were "Israeli crimes carried out by the 
Mossad."  Jordan Bar Association President Saleh Armouti also 
indirectly blamed on Israel, stating that "the only one 
profiting from these (terrorist) actions is the Zionist 
enemy."  Columnist Fakhri Kawar in Arabic daily al-Rai wrote 
that "what al-Qaeda is doing in terms of violent actions 
against innocent people ... confirms the fact that there are 
secret liaisons between the leadership of al-Qaeda and the 
 
SIPDIS 
leadership of the Mossad." 
 
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STILL WARY OF U.S. 
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8.  (SBU) While some contacts believe the current surge in 
public support for the regime may make it easier for the GOJ 
to defend its cooperation with the U.S. in fighting terror, 
several analysts note that the outcry against the Amman 
bombings does not signal a shift in support for the U.S.  MP 
Abbadi told the press, "There is no relation between people's 
feelings about U.S. policies in the region and their 
rejection of terrorism; the latter will not affect the 
former." 
 
9.  (SBU) A few voices are also trying to connect the attacks 
with U.S. positions on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict.  Arabic weekly al-Sabeel, which reflects the views 
of the Muslim Brotherhood, denounced the hotel attacks but at 
the same time urged that "resistance to the American 
onslaught against our nation should continue.  This onslaught 
is the objective reason for what happened."  Columnist Yaser 
Za'atreh in Arabic daily al-Dustour similarly wrote that 
although "blind violence" must be condemned, actions of "the 
legitimate resistance (to occupation) are required and must 
be praised."  These views, however, have been strongly 
refuted by the GOJ and other opinion leaders.  Former 
Minister of Information Saleh Qallab wrote in al-Ghad, for 
example, that "holding the American occupation in Iraq 
responsible for the crime against the hotels ... would be as 
good as justifying what happened, conspiring with the 
terrorists who perpetrated this heinous crime, and 
eliminating condemnation (against them)." 
 
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ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES 
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10.  (U) Interior Minister Awni Yarvas announced on November 
15 that the GOJ was issuing new regulations aimed at 
preventing foreign militants from operating within Jordan. 
These include a requirement that all Jordanians who rent 
property or "give refuge" to any foreigner provide police 
with the names, nationalities, and passport numbers of the 
foreign nationals, along with the purpose and duration of 
their stay in Jordan.  Yarvas also stated that the GOJ would 
draft tough new legislation to combat terrorism that would 
prohibit individuals or organizations from "promoting takfiri 
ideology" or "attempting to justify" terrorist acts in any 
country.  The King told Ambassador that all penalties would 
be financial; he would not tolerate prison sentences except 
in cases of witting assistance for terrorism. 
 
11.  (C) The Islamist-dominated opposition parties have 
already expressed concern over the proposed new anti-terror 
law, stating publicly that there are presently enough 
security laws on the books.  Some post contacts are also wary 
of the possible misuse of such legislation.  Dr. Muhammed 
Kheir Mustafa, political analyst and professor of political 
science, expressed his fear to polcouns that the security 
services might accuse those attempting to analyze political 
violence of justifying terrorism under the proposed law.  He 
further expressed his view that the palace had "hijacked" 
Jordanian anger over the bombings and turned it into a 
"festival" of "a cult of the King's personality." 
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WHAT NEXT? 
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12.  (C) While Jordanian unity in the wake of November 9 has 
been remarkable, several post contacts expressed concern over 
the prospect of a sustained campaign of attacks, and the 
effect on the country's stability and morale.  Several also 
expressed concern at the economic fallout (septel).  In 
post's view, Jordan is experiencing a moment of national 
unity, and support for the King, that is unprecedented since 
King Abdullah's accession in 1999. 
HALE