US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2083

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002083 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2013 
TAGS: ASEC, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZO1: ANOTHER WEEKEND OF PEACEFUL COUNTRYWIDE 
DEMONSTRATIONS IN JORDAN 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 1867 
     B. AMMAN 1872 
     C. AMMAN 1875 
     D. AMMAN 1883 
     E. AMMAN 1905 
     F. AMMAN 1928 
     G. AMMAN 2044 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm.  Reasons 1.5(B) and (D) 
 
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Thousands demonstrate peacefully against Iraq war 
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1. (C) Several demonstrations ranging in the hundreds to the 
low thousands again took place throughout Jordan after Friday 
prayers on April 4.  Press reports said the continuation of 
images of the destruction and civilian Iraqi deaths on 
Jordanians' television screens motivates the demonstrators. 
Jordanian demonstrators again hoisted pictures of Saddam 
alongside Iraqi flags while chanting "Death to America", 
"Bush, what do you want from us?", "Why don't you take your 
dogs and leave the region?", "Down with Bush the liar!", 
"America get out! Iraq will remain Arab and free!".  At the 
Wihdat Palestinian refugee camp, the perceived 
ineffectiveness of Arab leaders in preventing the war 
prompted some demonstrators to chant, "You sold Baghdad for a 
dollar!", "You sold Jerusalem for a dollar!".  US, UK and 
Israeli flags were burned and paraded on the back of a 
donkey. 
 
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Arab leaders share the blame 
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2. (C) While many blame the US and UK for the misery and 
destruction in Iraq, Abdul Majid Dandis, spokesperson for an 
opposition bloc that demonstrated in Amman pointed the finger 
at Arab countries that had facilitated the US led war by 
providing access to their military bases.  Demonstrators also 
condemned the coalition for its "crusade" against the region 
and Arab leaders for not taking a firm stand against the 
invasion of Iraq. 
 
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PM's Protest to US Ambassador Praised 
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3. (C) Prominent Jordanian figures praised the government's 
summoning of the US Ambassador to protest the US aggression 
in Iraq. (Ref Amman 2029 and Amman 2035)  Such figures 
included Sa'd Hayil al-Surur, former speaker of the House of 
Representatives, Marwan Dudin, moderator of the foreign 
affairs committee in the Upper House and Dr. Mamduh 
al-Abbadi, a former health minister and prominent political 
figure.  Surur praised the government for its strong anti-war 
stance and defended it against "those who practice 
one-upmanship against the Jordanian position that this 
position is ahead of all the Arab positions.  Surur also said 
that the PM's action symbolized a "translation of the 
feelings of all Jordanians and the Jordanian homeland." 
Dudin concurred saying, "the protest of all Jordanians had to 
be conveyed to the US Administration at the highest possible 
level in order to enable the Jordanian position to have an 
impact.  We hope that the Arab capitals that have a one-party 
rule would follow Jordan's example."  Dudin further added, 
"although we are eager to maintain good relations with the 
world's superpower, this does not at all mean we cannot raise 
our voices denouncing the ugly inhuman actions that started 
from the first days of the invasion and which shocks the 
conscience of all Jordanians." 
 
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Comment 
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4. (C) At a meeting PolOff attended with Jamal Rifai, a 
Jordanian columnist, Rifai said that he was worried of the 
war lasting more than a month.  If this happens he fears the 
US military might lose its patience and start bombing 
indiscriminately killing hundreds of innocent Iraqi 
civilians.  Were this to happen he fears Jordanians might be 
less inclined to conduct legal, peaceful rallies. 
 
5. (C) Jordanians again demonstrated their support of the 
Iraqi people and anger at civilian casualties in a largely 
controlled, organized and non-violent way.  The GOJ continues 
to work with rally organizers to ensure that Jordanians 
continue to let off steam according to the law. 
GNEHM