JORDANIAN ISLAMISTS' RELATIONSHIP WITH HAMAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 008578

LONDON FOR SUTPHIN; PARIS FOR LEAF

DEPT PASS TO USAID

USAID/ANE/MEA FOR KIM FINAN AND PIRIE GALL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/8/08
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL PTER KISL KWBG JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN ISLAMISTS' RELATIONSHIP WITH HAMAS

REF: A) AMMAN 8495; B) JERUSALEM 2594

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR WILLIAM J. BURNS FOR REASONS
1.5 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE JORDANIAN MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD (MB)
HAS BEEN OUTSPOKEN IN ITS PUBLIC PROTESTS OVER THE
KILLING OF HAMAS MILITARY LEADERS IMAD AND ADEL
AWADULLAH AND HAS SUGGESTED PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
COMPLICITY IN THEIR DEATHS. THE MB OPENLY DECLARES ITS
CLOSE TIES WITH HAMAS, BUT PRIVATELY, THE RELATIONSHIP
APPEARS MORE COMPLICATED. END SUMMARY.

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LOCAL ISLAMIST RESPONSE TO AWADULLAH KILLINGS
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2. (U) THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD (MB) AND THE MB-
AFFILIATED POLITICAL PARTY, THE ISLAMIC ACTION FRONT
(IAF),HAVE PUBLICLY PROTESTED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS THE
KILLINGS BY ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES OF HAMAS LEADERS
IMAD AND ADEL AWADALLAH.

- THE MB ORGANIZED A PUBLIC MEETING SEPTEMBER 13 TO
DENOUNCE THE KILLINGS AND CALL FOR AN END TO PEACE
AGREEMENTS WITH ISRAEL.

- THE MB AND IAF ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT CALLING FOR
THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY TO END SECURITY COOPERATION
WITH ISRAEL.

- JORDANIAN ISLAMIST NEWSPAPER AL-SABEEL PRINTED A
POSTER AND A FOUR-PAGE INSERT SEPTEMBER 15 DEDICATED TO
THE AWADULLAH KILLINGS.

- THE MB TRIED TO STAGE TWO RALLIES IN AL BAQA'A AND AL
WIHDAT REFUGEE CAMPS SEPTEMBER 18 BUT WAS REFUSED
PERMISSION. THE JORDAN TIMES REPORTED THAT MB
CONTROLLER GENERAL ABDUL MAJEED AL-THUNAYBAT AND
PROMINENT MB MEMBER HAMZEH MANSOUR, SPEAKING AT FRIDAY
PRAYERS IN THE CAMPS, CALLED FOR HAMAS TO AVENGE THE
AWADULLAH MURDERS. THEY ALSO CALLED FOR JIHAD (HOLY
WAR) AGAINST ISRAEL TO "LIBERATE" JERUSALEM AND THE
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE PA.

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SUMMARY OF ISLAMISTS' PRESS STATEMENTS
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3. (U) IN THE IAF STATEMENT, REPORTED SEPTEMBER 14 IN
THE JORDAN TIMES:

- THE IAF CALLED THE AWADULLAH KILLINGS "ONE MORE LINK
IN A LONG CHAIN OF ISRAELI CRIMES AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF
PALESTINE."

- IT CALLED ON THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITY TO
RELEASE ALL POLITICAL DETAINEES, INCLUDING HAMAS
MEMBERS, TO ABROGATE THE OSLO ACCORDS AND TO ALLOW
RESISTANCE GROUPS TO STRUGGLE AGAINST ISRAELI
OCCUPATION.

- IT CALLED ON EGYPT AND JORDAN TO END THEIR PEACE
ACCORDS WITH ISRAEL.


4. (U) JORDANIAN ISLAMIST NEWSPAPER AL-SABEEL'S FOUR
PAGE SPECIAL INSERT SEPTEMBER 15 ABOUT THE KILLINGS
INCLUDED:

- AN INTERVIEW WITH AMER AWADULLAH, THE BROTHER OF THE
TWO SLAIN HAMAS LEADERS, WHO IMPLIED PA COMPLICITY IN
THE DEATHS.

- AN ARTICLE QUESTIONING THE DENIAL OF JIBRIL AL-
RUJOUB, COMMANDER OF THE PALESTINIAN PREVENTATIVE
SECURITY UNIT, OF ANY CONNECTION TO THE KILLINGS.

- AN ARTICLE CRITICIZING THE PA FOR BANNING ANY MENTION
IN PALESTINIAN PAPERS OF HAMAS' CALL FOR A STRIKE IN
MEMORY OF THE AWADULLAH BROTHERS.


5. (U) WEEKLY NEWSPAPER AL-HADATH ON SEPTEMBER 14 RAN
AN AFP REPORT OF AN MB STATEMENT, IN WHICH THE MB HINTS
MORE STRONGLY AT PA COMPLICITY:

- THE MB DOUBTED "THE ZIONIST VERSION OF THE MARTYRDOM"
OF HAMAS MILITARY LEADERS IMAD AND ADEL AWADALLAH.

- IT QUESTIONED THE TIMING OF THE KILLINGS DURING SMEC
DENNIS ROSS' VISIT.

- IT SUGGESTED THE PA "MIGHT HAVE OFFERED THE HEADS OF
IMAD AND ADEL TO GAIN A FLEXIBILITY FROM NETANYAHU, SO
THAT HE WOULD ACCEPT THE US PROPOSAL" FOR A 13 PERCENT
ISRAELI WITHDRAWAL FROM THE WEST BANK.


6. (U) AN UNNAMED 'HIGH PNA OFFICIAL', QUOTED IN
SENSATIONALIST WEEKLY PUBLICATION AL-SHIHAN SEPTEMBER
17, RETURNED THE ACCUSATIONS:

- THE SOURCE CALLED THE JORDANIAN MB "IMPERIALIST
STOOGES" WHO ARE "WORKING AGAINST ARAB, NATIONALIST AND
PALESTINIAN CAUSES".

- HE ACCUSED THE MB OF FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM ITS
INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP (WHICH HE SAID JUST MOVED FROM
GERMANY TO THE U.S.) TO ADOPT ISRAELI SECURITY'S
VERSION OF THE AWADULLAH KILLINGS WHICH IMPLICATES THE
PA.

- HE ACCUSED THE MB OF SPREADING THESE LIES TO ISOLATE
THE PA BY DRIVING A WEDGE BETWEEN IT AND THE
PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.

THE AL-SHIHAN ARTICLE ALSO QUOTED MB CONTROLLER GENERAL
ABDUL MAJEED AL-THUNAYBAT, TRYING TO CALM THE
SITUATION, SAYING HE DOES NOT WANT A WAR OF WORDS WITH
THE PA.

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MB PICKS HAMAS OVER THE PA ANY DAY
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7. (C) THE MB HAS A LONG-TIME, PUBLIC AFFILIATION WITH
HAMAS, DESPITE ITS DECLARED POLICY AGAINST THE USE OF
VIOLENCE (REF B). VIOLENT ACTS PERPETRATED BY HAMAS
AGAINST ISRAELIS ARE, AS ISLAMIST MP ABDUL MAJEED
AQTASH TOLD POLOFF SEPTEMBER 15, "A REVOLUTIONIST
RESPONSE TO ISRAELI INJUSTICE, KILLING, OCCUPATION AND
DESTRUCTION OF THE PALESTINIAN INFRASTRUCTURE." AQTASH
CALLED HAMAS "THE MILITARY WING FOR ALL MUSLIMS, NOT
JUST THE MB".


8. (U) IN AN INTERVIEW PUBLISHED IN FILASTIN AL-
MUSLIMAH (THE DATE OF THE INTERVIEW WAS NOT GIVEN BUT
APPEARS TO BE EARLY AUGUST),THE INTERVIEWER ASKED
JORDANIAN MB LEADER THUNAYBAT TO DEFINE THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MB AND HAMAS. THUNAYBAT
RESPONDED, "WE CONSIDER OURSELVES ONE PEOPLE AND THUS
ONE MOVEMENT...WE HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS AND THE SAME
CAUSE...WE PRAY FOR THEM AND STRETCH OUR HANDS OUT TO
THEM IN RESISTING AGAINST THE OCCUPATION AND IN WARDING
OFF THE HARM FROM THE SONS OF OUR PEOPLE IN PALESTINE.
AS FOR THE BROTHERS IN HAMAS, THEY ARE THE VANGUARD OF
JIHAD IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE. JIHAD IS ONE OF THE
DUTIES IMPOSED UPON US BY GOD ALMIGHTY, AND IT IS ONE
OF THE PILLARS ON WHICH THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MOVEMENT
WAS FOUNDED. WE BACK AND SUPPORT OUR BROTHERS IN THIS
BLESSED MOVEMENT WITH ALL THE POWER WE HAVE AND WILL
ALL THE MATERIAL, MORAL AND INFORMATION SUPPORT WE CAN
GIVE THEM."


9. (C) THUNAYBAT GIVES A ROSIER VIEW OF THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MB AND HAMAS IN THIS PUBLIC
STATEMENT THAN MB MEMBER AND INTELLECTUAL IBRAHIM
GHARAIBEH (STRICTLY PROTECT) DESCRIBED TO POLOFF IN A
CONVERSATION TWO MONTHS AGO. GHARAIBEH, EDITOR OF THE
ISLAMIC MAGAZINE AL-UMMAH, TOLD POLOFF JULY 14 THAT THE
MB HAD DECIDED TO CEASE ALL RELATIONS WITH HAMAS UNTIL
HAMAS RESOLVES A POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE LEADERS
INSIDE THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND OUTSIDE.


10. (C) GHARAIBEH SAID THE PALESTINIAN MB APPROACHED
THE JORDANIAN MB IN THE 1980'S FOR ASSISTANCE TO FORM
HAMAS. THEY HAD AN AGREEMENT THAT HAMAS WOULD ONLY
FUNCTION WITHIN PALESTINE AND REMAIN COMPLETELY
SEPARATE FROM THE JORDANIAN MB, ALTHOUGH THE JORDANIAN
MB WOULD PROVIDE SUPPORT (WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WAS NOT
CLARIFIED). WHEN "GOVERNMENTS STARTED TO HARASS
HAMAS", IT MOVED SOME OFFICES OUTSIDE OF THE OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES FOR SELF-PRESERVATION. ACCORDING TO
GHARAIBEH, THESE OUTSIDE LEADERS, SUCH AS KHALID
MISHA'AL IN JORDAN, BEGAN COMPETING WITH THE INTERNAL
LEADERS, LIKE SHEIKH YASSIN, FOR CONTROL OVER THE
ORGANIZATION. GHARAIBEH SAID SHEIKH YASSIN HAS ASKED
THE MB TO IGNORE DIRECTIVES FROM THE EXTERNAL LEADERS.


11. (C) GHARAIBEH SAID THE JORDANIAN MB OPPOSES HAMAS
RECEIVING DECISIONS FROM OUTSIDE THE TERRITORIES. IT
WANTS IT TO BE A PURELY PALESTINIAN ORGANIZATION AND
INDEPENDENT FROM ANY OUTSIDE SOURCE, INCLUDING THE
JORDANIAN MB. HE SAID THE MB DOES NOT WANT HAMAS TO
BECOME LIKE NAYEF HAWATMA'S DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE
LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (DFLP) WHICH, ACCORDING TO
GHARAIBEH, IS ACTIVE IN SYRIA, BUT HAS FEW FOLLOWERS IN
THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES.


12. (C) COMMENT: THE JORDANIAN REGIME, COGNIZANT OF
THE WIDESPREAD PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE POLICIES OF BOTH
THE MB AND HAMAS, SEES NO ADVANTAGE IN OPENLY
CRITICIZING THE MB OVER ITS DECLARATIONS OF SUPPORT FOR
HAMAS. IN THE MIND OF MOST JORDANIANS, TO BE ANTI-
HAMAS IS TO BE ANTI-PALESTINIAN - A MONIKER THE REGIME
SEEKS TO AVOID. THE GOJ DOES, HOWEVER, CONTINUE TO
MONITOR CAREFULLY LOCAL HAMAS LEADERS - THEIR CONTACTS,
STATEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES - AND DOES NOT SHY AWAY FROM
THREATENING HAMAS MEMBERS WHEN THEY HAVE OVERSTEPPED
GOJ-IMPOSED REDLINES. END COMMENT.


BURNS