SITUATION IN JORDAN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A001400010064-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 14, 2002
• Sequence Number: 64
• Publication Date: November 24, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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NO FOREIGN DISSEM 99
No 1628/66
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
24 November 1966
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
Situation in Jordan
(As of 4:30 PM EST)
1. Nasir, in his speech today, was restrained
in his comments on Jordan. He did not openly attack
Husayn nor attempt to incite Jordan's dissident Pal-
estinians to rebel against the King, although his.
remarks will give them comfort. Nasir's restraint
undoubtedly was based, at least in part, on his aware-
ness that a revolution in Jordan might suck him into
a war with Israel in which he probably would be defeated.
At the same time he clearly is ready to exploit Husayn's
present difficulties if this can be done without pro-
voking Israel.
2. Nasir's caution was evident in the one direct
reference he made to conditions in Palestinian west
Jordan. "We do not want to exacerbate the tension on
the west bank of the Jordan," he said, "for this is
one of the lines of our political and military con-
frontation with Israel, which requires us all to eval-
uate the situhtion well and to be armed with the neces-
sary vigilance and firmness."
3. He also stated that Israel's 13 November raid
into west Jordan "was a source of pain to us" because
Israel was able to attack "without any resistance." This
comment, in effect, supports the demands Palestinian
demonstrators against Hu.sayn have made regarding arms
for the populace of west Jordan and the-deployment of
foreign Arab troops there. The inspiration for these
demands obviously came from Cairo, and especially from
the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) which is
headquartered there.
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4. The PLO has been engaged in a lengthy dispute
with King Husayn over its role and privileges among
Jordan's Palestinians. The present turmoil in west
Jordan has presented the PLO with a new opportunity to
promote its cause, and the organization, with Nasir's
obvious blessing, is making the most of it. Nasir in-
cluded a pledge of support for "the Palestine struggle"
in his speech. While the PLO's objective ostensibly
is to "liberate" Palestine from Israel, it now is
focusing on the effort to liberate Jordanian Palestin-
ians from Husayn's rule. The head of the organization,
who also made a speech in Cairo today, said they "must
inevitably liberate their free will from the Jordanian
Government, which'is linked with imperialism and re-
action."
5. The PLO has also broadcast "communiques" on
the situation in Jordan. One of these was addressed
to "all Jordanian police and security forces," asking
them to "leave the people alone with their revolution."
Another communique was sent to "all Jordanian ministers."
It called upon them to resign and leave Prime Minister
Wasfi Tal "alone to meet his fate." The campaign against
Tat is being conducted in the Cairo press as well. One
newspaper claimed it has "proof" that Tal knew of Israel's
raid in advance, "cooperated" with it, and communicated
with Israel through the American Embassy. The attacks
on Tal rather than Husayn may reflect Nasir's uneasiness
about a possible revolution against the King. Tal, if
anything, has been more consistently suspicious of
Nasir than Husayn. If H:usayn does not fall, Nasir may
hope to force Tal's removal as part of a general effort
to weaken Jordanian opposition to Egyptian influence
in Jordan.
6. Jordanian authorities, meanwhile, have
captured a sizable shipment of arms and explosives
which allegedly were being sent by Syrian military intel-
ligence to a "Fatah" terrorist depot in Jordan:. This
apparently is the first such shipment since Israel's
13 November reprisal for terrorism based in Jordan and,
thus, indicates that Syria has not been deterred from
supporting terrorist operations against Israel.
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