Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04AMMAN2764
2004-04-13 07:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

GOJ AND MPS BRISTLE AT ALLEGATIONS BY JORDANIAN

Tags:  PGOV PTER KISL 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 002764 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2014
TAGS: PGOV PTER KISL JO
SUBJECT: GOJ AND MPS BRISTLE AT ALLEGATIONS BY JORDANIAN
ISLAMISTS

REF: A. AMMAN 2555

B. AMMAN 2520

C. AMMAN 2395

Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (b),(d)

------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002764

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2014
TAGS: PGOV PTER KISL JO
SUBJECT: GOJ AND MPS BRISTLE AT ALLEGATIONS BY JORDANIAN
ISLAMISTS

REF: A. AMMAN 2555

B. AMMAN 2520

C. AMMAN 2395

Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (b),(d)

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) The Islamic Action Front (IAF) has denounced
legislators who voted to approve a recent tax increase,
prompting strong reaction from government officials. The GOJ
also responded forcefully to allegations that it may have
fabricated reports of a recent terrorist threat to the
country. The Islamists have refused to back down and dropped
hints that IAF legislators might consider withdrawing from
Parliament (most unlikely). One observer believes that some
Islamists have misinterpreted PM Fayez's outreach efforts as
"a sign of weakness," emboldening them to confront the
government. For his part, Fayez may have had unrealistic
expectations about his ability to co-opt the Islamists
through dialogue. End Summary.

--------------
STRONG RESPONSE TO IAF CRITICISM
--------------


2. (U) IAF members of Parliament strongly criticized fellow
MPs who approved the recent hike in the general sales tax,
alleging that they had voted against the interests of the
country. IAF foes struck back, with 36 MPs publicly
denouncing the IAF for "casting doubt on the national stance
of deputies" who voted for the tax hike, and accusing IAF
members of "seeking to achieve narrow personal and partisan
interests" through their attacks.


3. (U) In an interview April 2 on the Jordan TV news program
"60 Minutes," Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez stressed the
government's "partnership" with Parliament. He said that the
tax increase had been scaled back from the GOJ's original
proposal in light of MP's concerns, and that he had twice met
with members of the IAF before the tax law was approved to
explain the country's financial situation. "I sat with them
for five hours at the Parliament and another five hours at
the residence of (IAF) MP Azzam Huneidi," said Fayez.
Claiming that the IAF "does not represent the Jordanian
street" and had "lost (its) balance," he further stated, "The
problem of political work in Jordan is that some say
reasonable things behind closed doors, but after that, they

release statements to woo their electoral bases."


4. (C) Subsequent efforts at rapprochement, spearheaded by
the inexperienced Minister of Political Development &
Parliamentary Affairs, Mohammad Daoudiyeh, made little
headway. IAF members continued to complain strenuously about
Fayez's TV comments. IAF MP Ali Abul Sukkar (Zarqa-2nd
District),for example, told the press that Fayez's comments
betrayed the government's purported policy of conducting
domestic politics "based on dialogue and respect of each
other's opinions." Reacting to GOJ claims that it did not
offer "practical solutions" to the country's financial
situation, the IAF issued a statement saying that Jordanians
could have been spared a sales tax increase if the government
applied "better tax collection measures." Moreover, the
Islamists alleged that a rise in the price of fuel could have
been avoided by improving the performance of the Jordan
Petroleum Refinery Company.


5. (U) Daoudiyeh likewise failed to take a conciliatory tone
in his words to the media. "The IAF issues dozens of
statements in the past against the government ... We
refrained from responding ... But what prompted the premier's
reply this time were the recent harmful and slanderous
remarks issued by the (IAF)," said Daoudiyeh. During a
government press conference April 5, Daoudiyeh strongly
denounced IAF Secretary General Hamzeh Mansour for alleging
that the GOJ fabricated reports of terrorists entering Jordan
with explosives-laden vehicles (see ref a) for political
reasons. "These allegations are totally inaccurate. Why
would a government terrorize its own children and women, and
at the same time tarnish its reputation and destroy its
internal and external interests?"

--------------
IAF REFUTES CRIMINAL CHARGES
--------------


6. (SBU) A March 26 clash at the Wihdat refugee camp
following the Israeli killing of Sheikh Yassin (see ref c)
provided yet another source of friction between the IAF and
the GOJ. Islamist legislators accused security forces of
improperly detaining IAF activists (some 60 people total were
arrested) and assaulting IAF MP Tayseer al-Fityani (West
Banker, Amman-2nd District) during violence at the camp. On
April 5, state prosecutor Mahmoud Obeidat formally charged
two IAF deputies (including Fityani) and six other IAF
members with participating in riots and illegal assembly. He
ordered their detention for two weeks, but released them on
bail of 2,000 Jordanian dinars (roughly 2,800 USD) each the
same day. An official IAF statement called this action "a
dangerous precedent and an insult that tarnishes the image of
the country's Lower House deputies." (NOTE: The immunity
from prosecution that MPs enjoy while Parliament is in
session ended when the legislature concluded its regular
session April 1.)


7. (U) On April 7, Obeidat added five charges against the
two MPs including damaging public property, slandering the
King, and demeaning and burning the Jordanian flag. Obeidat
told the press the new charges were prompted by a videotape
of the demonstration showing the two deputies speaking. Abul
Ragheb countered that the two "only spoke of people who
normalized with Israel and did not utter any statements that
were slanderous to his Majesty." Meanwhile, a Jordanian
Muslim Brotherhood (MB) spokesperson told London daily
Al-Hayat that "the Jordanian street" was demanding the
resignation of the 17 IAF deputies from Parliament due to the
"government's escalation against Islamist leaders." Muslim
Brotherhood Controller General Abdul Majeed al-Dhunaibat
similarly announced that Jordanian Islamist groups were
insisting on the resignation of Islamist MPs "in view of the
return to the suppression of freedoms and the backing down on
the democratic course."

--------------
FAYEZ TO RETHINK STRATEGY?
--------------


8. (C) Ali Hindawi, Chairman of the Legislative Board at the
Prime Minister's office, told PolOff April 4 that PM Fayez
had grown disillusioned with his efforts to engage the IAF
given recent events. According to Hindawi, some within the
IAF and/or Muslim Brotherhood had misinterpreted the PM's
attempts to reach out to Islamists as a "sign of weakness"
which in turn had emboldened them to take a more
confrontational approach vis-a-vis the government. While
Hindawi did not state that Fayez would end his dialogue with
Islamists, he intimated that the PM might reevaluate his soft
approach in dealing with the Islamic movement. Fayez
subsequently held a meeting April 11 with Islamist leaders
who demanded that the GOJ thoroughly investigate the Wihdat
riot and to drop all charges against IAF members. Little
progress in resolving differences was reportedly made.

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


9. (C) Jordanians have grown unaccustomed to open political
tussles between government and opposition, so this episode
garnered widespread attention. While the IAF may be the main
opposition body in the Parliament, it has been careful to
balance criticism against the GOJ on some issues with a
degree of cooperation on others to avoid alienating the
government and risking a possible backlash. We doubt the IAF
MPs will resign since the movement generally recognizes that
it lost political ground during its self-imposed absence from
Parliament from 1997-2003. It is ironic that Fayez's
outreach to Islamists, intended to build consensus, may have
instead contributed to a more combative IAF and greater
resulting political discord. However, it may have been naive
of Fayez to believe he could co-opt the IAF through dialogue
alone.

Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ or through the
Department of State's SIPRNET site.
GNEHM