OF TRIBAL SHEIKHS, ISLAMIC ZANIES AND CRUSADER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 005476

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL JO
SUBJECT: OF TRIBAL SHEIKHS, ISLAMIC ZANIES AND CRUSADER
CASTLES: AMBASSADOR VISITS KERAK AND MA'AN

REF: 03 AMMAN 06232

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SUMMARY
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1. (U) The Ambassador visited the governorates of Kerak and
Ma'an in a June 23-24 trip that highlighted the regional
variety in Jordan's history, economy and topography. The
Ambassador met with local officials and inaugurated
USAID-funded clinics in and around the hilly city of Kerak,
an historic urban area that has produced some of Jordan's
more prominent families and is crowned by an imposing
Crusader castle, as well as in arid Ma'an which is more
infamously known for desert smugglers, rebellious tribesmen,
Islamic extremists and, more recently, anti-government
violence. Along the way, the peculiarities of Jordan's
tribal culture were on display, revealing just how far
removed the Western trappings of Amman can be from other
parts of the country. End Summary.

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ROAD SHOW
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2. (U) The Ambassador departed Amman June 23 for a two-day
trip to central and southern Jordan. The first day included
a visit to one of Jordan's Qualified Industrial Zone
factories (reported septel),a lunch hosted by a local
politician in the city of Kerak, and an Embassy-sponsored
representational dinner in Wadi Musa outside the Petra
archeological park. The second day focused on the
inauguration of four USAID-refurbished health clinics in the
governorates of Ma'an and Kerak.

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KERAK: HILLS, HISTORY AND ONE HUGE CASTLE
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3. (U) The city of Kerak is located approximately 130
kilometers south of Amman in west central Jordan. Perched on
a hilltop roughly 930 meters above sea level amidst rolling
terrain, it affords a scenic view of the Dead Sea and Jordan
River valley. Kerak has a long history dating back to Old
Testament times and was one of the largest urban centers in
Jordan when the country was first carved out by the British
after World War I. (The city's current populations stands at
about 170,000.) It is perhaps best known for the relatively
well-preserved ruins of its imposing castle, built by
European Crusaders in the first half of the 12th century A.D.
and captured by Saladin in 1187, which dominates one's
attention as you drive into the city.


4. (U) Commensurate with its history, the city of Kerak and
surrounding area has produced some of the most influential
families in modern-day Jordan. One of these families, the
Tarawneh clan, claims to number almost 30,000 people
(including family members in neighboring countries) and is
known for producing prominent professionals including
university professors, physicians, lawyers and engineers. At
a lunch held in a renovated medieval prison just outside the
castle, the Ambassador, his party, and local officials were
hosted by member of Parliament Atef Tarawneh. Atef's uncle
and economics professor, Mohammad Tarawneh, proudly announced
that his daughter had graduated number one in her class at
the University of Jordan medical school and was studying to
become a neurosurgeon.

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MA,AN: INFAMOUS CITY OF THE DESERT
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5. (U) In contrast to Kerak, the city of Ma'an is situated
on a dusty, arid plain approximately 210 kilometers south of
Amman. The governorate of the same name is 95% desert and
rather sparsely inhabited, though it accounts for 37% of
Jordan's area. Ma'an city's reason for being has
historically been to serve the pilgrimage route to Mecca and
trade. Located on major caravan routes, many of the city's
inhabitants made a living transporting goods via camel and
selling wares to those traveling on the old Hijaz railroad.
Today, many "Ma'anis," known for their independent spirit,
still work in transport driving trucks loaded with goods.
Some of these goods are moved in and out of Jordan legally,
others are not.


6. (U) Ma'an's long-standing role in regional trade resulted
in close ties with Saudi Arabia. Some tribal groups present
in Ma'an extend over the Saudi border and intermarriages
between Ma'an residents and Saudis were once common, though
less so today. Consequently, conservative Wahabi religious
doctrine and traditions, absent in most of Jordan, have made
limited inroads and contributed to a reactionary Islamic
movement in the area which chafes at the perceived onslaught
of Western ways. At the governorate's co-educational King
Hussein Ben Talal University, for example,
ultra-conservatives have repeatedly distributed leaflets
directing female students to wear the hijab and condemning
men and women who mix with members of the opposite sex (one
look at the trendy nightspots in west Amman would probably
give them cardiac arrest).


7. (U) Ma'an and the surrounding region is also well-known
as being the site of four major riots over the last 15 years.
The first, in 1989, resulted in a still unclear number of
dead and was publicly portrayed as a consequence of an
increase in fuel prices. The last violent clash in November
2002 saw the deployment of the army and security forces to
rein in what the government described as a "band of outlaws8
headed by fiery Islamic extremist Mohammad Shalabi, better
known as Abu Sayyaf (who was ultimately arrested in September
2003 ) see reftel). Five people, including two policemen,
died during the several-day military operation.


8. (U) While poverty and unemployment cannot alone account
for the history of violence in Ma'an ) indeed there are
poorer governorates in the country ) the GOJ has nonetheless
pumped considerable funds into the region since the November
2002 unrest. An increase in the transport of goods into and
out of Iraq (both legally and otherwise) through the area
since the end of the Iraq war in 2003 has also aided the
local economy. Given the city's infamous reputation, PolOff
and others traveling with the Ambassador were surprised to
see that Ma'an city did not look appreciably different from
other urban areas outside Amman. In fact, the newer area of
the city appeared quite pleasant in parts with a number of
handsome new buildings (including government offices).
Outside of town, large cranes and other construction
equipment are at work building major new additions to King
Hussein University which, when finally completed, will be one
of the biggest educational facilities in Jordan. Some have
criticized the project as an example of government excess,
asserting that the region's relatively small population (less
than 5% of Jordanians live in the governorate) will not
produce nearly enough students to fill the university.

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POLITICS TRIBAL STYLE
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9. (U) The Ambassador's trip underscored the different style
of politics in more rural, tribal areas. In Amman, for
example, government ministers are insulated by the large
bureaucracy from rank and file Jordanians and conduct
business more or less along Western lines. When these same
ministers venture outside the capital to tribal strongholds,
however, this sense of detachment dissolves and they are
expected to interact promptly and directly with unannounced
tribal leaders who may come their way. Minister of Health
Darwazeh, for example, was approached numerous times during
the health clinic openings by wizened old men in tribal garb
who handed him written demands for services and even berated
him in raised voices about their complaints. Rather than
have these men kept away or pushed back by security
personnel, Darwazeh instead politely accepted their petitions
(which he then passed on to an aide for undetermined action)
and listened to their grievances for a short, but appropriate
length of time.


10. (SBU) Jordanian tribal society contains its fair share
of family rivalries and jockeying for position. Hosting the
U.S. Ambassador can help enhance one's prestige and/or status
among tribal peers, leading to numerous invitations from
sheikhs to the Embassy Front Office. Within the large
Huwaitat tribe (think of Anthony Quinn in "Lawrence of
Arabia" leading his Huwaitat tribesmen against the Ottomans
in Aqaba),the prominent al-Jazi clan is headed by two
sheikhs: Sheikh Sultan al-Jazi and Sheikh Hayel al-Jazi.
Rather than issue a joint invitation to the Ambassador, the
"dueling sheikhs" have individually invited the Ambassador
several times to lunch or dinner with the firm intent of
being the first to host him. Not wanting to enflame the
apparent rivalry, the Ambassador has politely declined these
offers but invited both sheikhs to the large representational
dinner on June 23 in Wadi Musa. Sheikh Sultan, however,
decided to make one last attempt to better Sheikh Hayel by
"taking over8 a lunch event on June 24 sponsored by a USAID
contracting organization. The Embassy fortunately succeeded
in dissuading Sheikh Sultan from trying to hijack the lunch
and, to the surprise of many, Sheikh Sultan and Sheikh Hayel
not only both attended the June 23 dinner, but sat across
from each other at the same table and engaged in what
appeared to be cordial conversation. For one evening, at
least, the intra-family competition was put on hold.

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GNEHM