REACTION TO AUGUST 19 ATTACK IN AQABA

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006740

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2015
TAGS: MOPS PTER ASEC IS JO
SUBJECT: REACTION TO AUGUST 19 ATTACK IN AQABA

REF: A. AMMAN 6694 (NOTAL)

B. TD-314/50178-05

C. TD-314/50241-05

D. TD-314/50103-05

E. TD-314/50404-05

Classified By: CDA Christopher Henzel, Reasons 1.4 (B) & (D)

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The Investigation
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1. (S/NF) The GOJ is conducting an intense security
operation in Aqaba, and has detained some 300 people.
However, the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate
informs us that it has not yet reached any conclusions as to
who may have been responsible for the launch of the three
Katyusha rockets (ref b). Amman RMAS, RSO and DAO officers,
as well as personnel from the Kearsarge group, are in Aqaba
coordinating with Jordanian authorities on the investigation.
At GOJ request, a team of FBI explosives experts is on its
way to Jordan.

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U.S. Forces
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2. (S/NF) Amman DAO, CENTCOM and the Jordanian Armed Forces
(JAF) are working out plans to return to the Kearsarge group
the roughly 770 U.S. Marines who had been conducting
exercises inland at Qatraneh, probably no later than August

24.

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GOJ Posture
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3. (C) Palace officials told Charge that King Abdullah
(currently in Russia) has instructed the GOJ to emphasize
this incident as an attack by extremists on moderate Islam
and on Jordanians, and to focus on the death of a Jordanian
soldier and the fact that one rocket struck the wall of a
hospital. The King is expected back within two or three
days. His brother, Prince Feisal, is serving as regent, and
he has struck a high media profile at military and religious
funeral rites for the soldier who died. Post has conveyed
condolences on the soldier's death to the palace and to JAF
headquarters.

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Public Reaction
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4. (C) Taking their cue from the government, Jordanian media
have either ignored or downplayed the fact that U.S. navy
vessels were the target. Coverage of the soldier's funeral,
and his father's comments that he was a martyr for the King
and for Jordan, saturated local media. The director general
at the influential Al-dostour daily noted to PAO that
informed journalists know that joint military and naval
training exercises are a routine element in the US-Jordanian
relationship and are &therefore not noteworthy in this
case.8 Others either don't know about the exercises or have
gotten the government's message and are ignoring them. There
has been significant coverage of the detention of Iraqis,
Egyptians and Syrians in the Aqaba round-ups. One marginal
weekly (Al-Anbat) and one editorial comment in today's
mainstream press imply links between the increasing
involvement of the U.S. in Jordan's political-military scene
and this attack targeting Jordan, without drawing any direct
explicit connections.


5. (C) Post has received numerous calls from contacts in
parliament, civil society and academia who without exception
have condemned the attacks. Many stressed that the while a
U.S. naval vessel may have been targeted, they considered the
attacks as an act of terrorism against Jordan. Several
expressed their fears that the rocket attacks would
negatively affect tourism in Aqaba, as well as Jordan's
hard-earned reputation for stability and security. Mohammad
Al-Badri, one of two MPs from Aqaba, assured poloff that the
overwhelming majority of people in Aqaba welcomed Americans
and were "horrified" by the attacks. A few contacts remarked
that they were "not surprised" that terrorist violence
elsewhere in the region had finally reached Jordan. The
Islamic Action Front has not yet spoken out publicly on the
attack.

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Post security
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6. (SBU) RSO placed the Marine security guard detachment on
standby and the local guard force and roving patrols on
alert. Post's surveillance detection unit (SDU) increased
coverage around the Mission, residences and the American
Language Center (ALC). In response to post's request, the
GOJ has augmented its security coverage around Embassy,
Embassy residential areas, the ALC, and the American
Community School (ACS).
HENZEL