US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1928

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001928 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: WEEKEND DEMONSTRATIONS MOSTLY PEACEFUL; 
JORDANIANS OUTSIDE AMMAN UNITED AGAINST THE WAR 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 1867 
     B. AMMAN 1872 
     C. AMMAN 1875 
     D. AMMAN 1883 
     E. AMMAN 1905 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm.  Reasons 1.5(B) and (D) 
 
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Jordanians express their anti war rage 
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1. (C) Weekend demonstrations in Jordan's refugee camps, 
Amman, Irbid, Salt, Zarqa, Karak, Aqaba and Maan attracted 
large numbers of anti war Jordanians.  Many demonstrators 
carried pictures of Saddam Hussein, a phenomenon that has 
been much less common in marches up to now, and chant "death 
to America," hailing the Iraqi leader and the people of Iraq 
for fighting the "US aggression".  While most demonstrations 
were peaceful, the press reports that police in Maan, a city 
with a history of confrontations, used tear gas when 
protesters hurled stones at them.  In Amman, some protesters 
called on Saddam to use chemical weapons against British and 
US troops. 
 
2. (C) In downtown Amman, approximately 3,000 demonstrators 
marched following noon prayers on March 28, a lower turnout 
than a week ago.  Though largely peaceful, reports of 
vandalism to a bus and some arrests took place.  Maan 
reported another 400-500 rock throwing protesters.  On March 
29, Public Security Directorate (PSD) sources reported that 
approximately 7-10,000 anti-war protesters participated in 
demonstrations in Irbid, with another 10,000 participants 
near Marka airport in Amman and smaller peaceful 
demonstrations in Wihdat and Baq'aa refugee camps.  On March 
31, smaller, non-violent candlelight vigils were reported, a 
hundred press members marched peacefully and about 700 
participants demonstrated at the Professional Associations 
Complex, never leaving the complex grounds.  More licensed 
demonstrations are planned throughout the week. 
 
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Reactions to war outside Amman 
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3. (C) A survey of Embassy contacts outside Amman reflects 
the population's growing loss of trust in their government 
and its declarations.  In Salt, (a medium sized city 30 
minutes from Amman) former parliamentarian Salameh Hiyari 
says the whole country is boiling and Jordanians are angry at 
their government.  He worries the situation may get worse. 
Many of our contacts throughout the country worry about the 
huge disconnect they see between the King's public and 
private position on the war, and the intense opposition to 
the war of most Jordanians.  This gap, they argue, affects 
the King and government's credibility with the populace. 
Hiyari cites the ever growing number of Jordanians attending 
Friday prayers and praying for God to support Iraq and 
destroy the US. 
 
4. (C) In Ramtha, the home of the four Jordanian students 
killed in Iraq last week, former parliamentarian Fawwaz Zu'bi 
says the mood is just as tense and calls the situation 
"dangerous".  He says the people are very angry and wonders 
how far that anger will go once the battle for Baghdad takes 
place and greater numbers of Iraqi civilian deaths are shown 
on Arab television. 
 
5. (C) Mohammad Al-Kouz, former parliamentarian who 
represented the Wihdat refugee camp, says there is "complete 
solidarity" with Saddam and the Iraqi people.  The 
demonstrators at a rally in Wihdat Camp on March 28 numbered 
in the low thousands.  He said the sole beneficiary of the 
current situation is the Muslim Brotherhood. 
 
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Comment 
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6. (C) Numerous contacts have expressed to us their worry 
that the war in Iraq is making many Jordanians turn to 
religion.  Our Western-oriented contacts in particular fear 
that the war will boost the political fortunes of the Islamic 
Action Front and other, more radical, groups. 
GNEHM