Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN2032
2003-04-03 15:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

TFIZ01: AMIDST EMOTIONS AND ANGER, A FEW CALMER

Tags:  PREL PGOV JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002032 

SIPDIS

NEA/ARN, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV JO
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: AMIDST EMOTIONS AND ANGER, A FEW CALMER
VOICES APPEAR

REF: A. AMMAN 974

B. AMMAN 1685

C. AMMAN 1718

D. AMMAN 1949

E. KUWAIT 1207

Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM. REASONS: 1.5 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002032

SIPDIS

NEA/ARN, NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV JO
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: AMIDST EMOTIONS AND ANGER, A FEW CALMER
VOICES APPEAR

REF: A. AMMAN 974

B. AMMAN 1685

C. AMMAN 1718

D. AMMAN 1949

E. KUWAIT 1207

Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM. REASONS: 1.5 (B) and (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. As we have reported, the anger of most
Jordanians towards coalition military action against the
Iraqi regime is obvious and unmistakable (reftels). However,
as the war moves into its third week, we are beginning to see
a "cooling off" among some of our contacts. One human rights
contact, not known for his pro-USG-policy views, predicts
that as soon as Saddam is "clearly finished," the current
flaring of "Arab pride in the Iraqi resistance" will
dissipate. While the rage among the vast majority continues,
and the media continues to fan the flames with pictures of
dead Iraqi civilians, some, particularly those in business
community, are returning to a more pragmatic view of things.
These individuals are focusing on how to keep businesses
running and positioned to capitalize on the demise of the
Iraqi regime.


2. (C) Despite the "cooling off," even those who have
accepted the reality (and the virtue) of Saddam's demise are
highly skeptical of our intentions especially toward Syria,
many are telling us that "people will never look at America
the same way again." END SUMMARY

--------------
HR ACTIVIST SAYS ANTI-USG SLOGANS
ARE MORE "TEARS" THAN "FISTS"
--------------


3. (C) On March 30 PolOff met with human rights activist
Fawzi Samhoury (strictly protect). Samhoury has attended
several professional associations organizational meetings and
is in contact with opposition figures directing anti-war
demonstrations. In his view, the anger against the coalition
military action is "more tears than fists," and can be
expected to dissipate once it is clear Saddam is finished.
Samhoury said the Arab street is desperate for something,
anything, to restore shattered pride, even if it is a few
American casualties bannered for hours on Al Jazeera: "Saddam
is not championing any real 'Arab' cause, except a display of
defiance and resistance. If his resistance goes away, what
does he have to offer the Arab street? I believe he is
finished as soon as the Arabs realize he is finished."



4. (C) Samhoury observed that so far, the Iraqi regime has
been able to transmit its propaganda effectively to the Arab
street, but said many are beginning to admit that, while both
western and Arab media are "both biased toward their
constituents," reality is beginning to set in. Some
Jordanians are asking, among themselves, why the Iraqi regime
talks about civilian deaths and American casualties but never
discusses Iraqi military losses. Samhoury told PolOff "when
an angry Jordanian tells you he believes the Iraqis more than
he believes the Americans, he might believe what he is
saying, but he also knows this is a way to insult you."


5. (C) On demonstrations, Samhoury said the turnout and
virulence is less than the April 2002 rallying during the
Israeli military activity in Jenin. He said many people,
particularly Palestinian-Jordanians, are less upset than they
were at the Jenin "massacres." But, he noted, this may be
due to the fact that people here are worn-out from two years
of crises and lack the stomach or energy to take to the
street en masse, especially when the GOJ has made clear it
will not allow any "unlicensed" demonstrations. He also
cautioned that, while the demonstrations may be weaker than
expected, the anger is still there, and directly "100
percent" at America for the first time.

--------------
SOME PRAGMATISTS ARE FOCUSING ON MOVING FORWARD
--------------


6. (C) Some, especially in the middle/upper-middle class
business community, want the war to be over with so they can
proceed with their endeavors (note: this appears to track
with reporting from at least one other moderate Arab state -
reftel e). One young industrialist told us recently that he
has truckloads of goods packaged, loaded, and waiting on
trucks in his warehouse, ready to move into Iraq "the day the
war is over." Another noted that some local businesses are
using the war as an excuse for business losses that are more
likely attributed to poor management, adding that some of his
clients are using the war as an excuse to delay payments.
For him, the sooner the war is over, the better.



7. (C) A successful Jordanian pharmaceutical importer said
he has been more worried in the past week about how to get
his colleagues to focus on the business opportunities in a
new Iraq than on how many civilians have been killed or who
will win the war ("The U.S. will win, no doubt"). Most
Jordanian businessmen, he said, either cannot accept that
Saddam Hussein will be defeated, or "see the glass half empty
-- that they would profit on the bodies of dead Iraqis. I
see it half full, that I can play a role in helping Iraqis
rebuild their country." He recounted a story of an Iraqi
friend from school who was "a real Baathi" in the 1970's.
This friend "escaped" from Iraq three years ago, the
businessman said, and has been recounting stories of
corruption, mismanagement, and regime brutality ever since.


8. (C) An NGO contact and an academic told PolCouns this
week that, while emotionally very affected by the scenes in
the Arab media of civilian casualties, they understand the
brutal nature of the Iraqi regime and the reasons the U.S.
decided to act with military force. That said, they were
uncomfortable because the U.S. "is not sending a clear
message" about the ultimate goal of U.S. military action.
Does the U.S., they asked, want to disarm Saddam, liberate
the Iraqi people, or transform Middle Eastern governments
into democracies? All of these are laudable goals which will
(eventually) gain support among Arabs, if the U.S. is clear
in articulating its purpose. His big fear (and that of some
others we talk to) is that we will come up dry in our search
for WMD. As our industrialist contact in para 6 put it,
"please, please, for everyone's sake, find the chemical
weapons. You have to come up with something."

--------------
WHO IS NEXT, SYRIA?
--------------


9. (C) Pragmatism aside, many of those within the small group
that has begun to "cool off" emotionally tell us flatly that
America will never be viewed the same way again, and its
intentions will be doubted for a long time. Some are worried
about "media reports" that Saddam has moved WMD into Syria.
This rumor has already spun up a few to predict that "Syria
will be next," or that these reports will be used by Israel
as a "pretext" to reoccupy the Golon Heights, "and perhaps
beyond."

--------------
THE "ANTIDOTE", ACCORDING
TO JORDANIANS
--------------


10. (C) While the presumption of bad intentions is nearly
universal, most are quick to suggest the best way for the USG
to regain credibility here is to move forward on the
"Roadmap" with concrete steps, as opposed to "mere words."
This recurring sentiment has been expressed to EmbOffs at
various levels and from a wide cross-section of Jordanians.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


11. (C) While the street will remain volatile during
hostilities, and many people will likely be angry at us
beyond the end of the war, a small number of Jordanians --
mostly educated and well-off -- are beginning to return to
their daily lives, and think about "what's next." The
business community in particular (notwithstanding the
comments in para 7) has been fairly pragmatic about the
disruptions of war and about the likely opportunities that
will follow an end to the conflict (septels).
GNEHM