JORDAN'S PM STRESSES NATIONAL UNITY IN MEETING

UNCLAS AMMAN 001813 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM ASEC JO SUBJECT: JORDAN'S PM STRESSES NATIONAL UNITY IN MEETING WITH SECURITY OFFICIALS REF: A. AMMAN 1803 ¶B. AMMAN 1786 ¶C. AMMAN 1749 ¶D. AMMAN 1689 ¶1. (U) Prime Minister Nader Al-Dahabi convened Interior Minister Nayef Al-Qadi, provincial governors, and directors of the security services on August 10. In the meeting, the PM reiterated comments made by the King on August 4 about the importance of national unity and domestic political stability (Refs A and B). He also stressed professionalism among the security services and their liaison role with average citizens, urging security officials to visit local communities in order to establish working relationships. ¶2. (SBU) Dahabi's speech comes on the heels of an active month for Jordanian security services: a series of personnel shuffles echoed throughout the military and Interior Ministry-controlled police forces, the newly-created gendarmerie responded harshly to a port workers' strike in Aqaba, and police were forced to end a near-riot at a symbolically significant soccer game (Reftels). In all of these events, Interior Ministry-affiliated security services were in the spotlight -- a place where they prefer not to linger. The PM's meeting with Qadi and those under his command likely holds the dual purpose of reassuring them of his support during an unusually tense period and reminding them of their duty to defend the state, even in the face of uncertainty in regional and domestic politics. The PM is expected to meet with journalists on August 12 to reiterate a similar message to them as well. Mandel