JORDAN'S BRAVE KING HUSSEIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300150001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 29, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 11, 1972
• Content Type: NSPR

AZTIMO1 E ND'i S AMERICIV
Approved For Release 200-4/01JU6. 'Cl 1 DP80-0
STATINTL
7 a 'i x. TA ?L1:,,9
jorthn's
Our Central Intelligence Agency reports an
unrevealed assassination attempt on the life of
King Hussein of Jordan. This is the eleventh at-
tempt. And the CIA traces it to Palestinian
Arab guerrillas objecting to Hussein's Decem-
ber 1 statement that he is willing to reach a
formal peace with Israel.
Brave King Hussein has visited President
Nixon at the White House repeatedly and is
well and favorably known to Secretary of State
William P. Rogers. To them he has always
looked like the one frail hope for stability in
this country which is of immense strategic im-
portance to us. But by joining in the 1970 peace
initiative put forward by Mr. Rogers, showing
a 'semblance of moderation toward Israel and
now unilaterally offering to negotiate a peace
with Israel Premier Golda Meir,.Hussein put
his head on the block.
Although 150,000 additional Palestinian Ar-
abs poured into King Hussein's country when
the Israelis mopped up the west bank of the
Jordan River during the 1967 Six-Day War they'
are still a minority in Jordan. But two years
ago Assistant Secretary of State for Near East-
ern Affairs Joseph J. Sisco had to cancel a visit
to King Hussein because the Arabs stoned the
American Embassy in Amman and, at their de-
mand, the King was forced to ask the recall of
U.S. Ambassador Harrison M. Symmes.
Similarly, the Palestinian Arab revolutionar-
ies pressed the government of neighboring Leb-
anon for the recall of American Ambassador
Dwight J. Porter and all but collapsed Maj.
Gen. Emile Bustani's Lebanese army and the
Beirut government. And all this typifies the
current chaos in the 13 countries of the Arab
League; a chaos vitually complicating Presi-
dent Nixon's peace efforts.
ALONG WITH Jordan and Lebanon the
Arab League consists of Algeria; Egypt, Iraq,
Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan,
Syria, Tunisia and Yemen. It embraces more,
than 100 million people. But upheavals abound.
Syria, for example, has had nine coups d'etat
in 25 years. And Jordan has had to fight an in-
termittent civil war with the Palestinian Arab
revolutionists.
Hussein has won the civil war militarily but
not politically. And that revolution surfaces
again and again throughout the Arab League.
One offshoot well known to its is the Black
September 'group responsible for the Munich
Olympic Games horror and the many plane hi-
jackings. It is led by Munzeer Salman Khali-
fah, a Palestinian Arab formerly of Beirut.
Khalifah named the Black September group in
protest against King Hussein's military action
against the Palestinian Arabs in Jordan in Sep-
tember, 1.970.
THE POLICY is a ghastly blend of terror
and blackmail. But "Inshallah" (God willing)
is the Palestinian Arab revolutionists' key word
and philosophy. They designate their move-
ment the "Sira'a" ('The Historic Struggle') and
preach it as interminable, and they are ever-
lastingly relentless in achieving what they call
their "akhad tarot' - their revenge; witness
the fact that the attempts to assassinate Hus-
sein now total eleven.
The Palestinian Arab revolutionists insist
that war weariness will grow in Israel (as
weariness of the Vietnam war grew here
through the years), that Israel's econonr/
()lot strong) will increasingly feel the strain,
and that there will never be a' settlement with
Israel except on their terms.
Can the King control strategic Jorc rs
against the further tests? In Mr. Sisco's opin-
ion, expressed to the White (louse, the Palrn-
tinian Arab revolutionists' success in destroy-
ing the King's control will demonstrate their ?
true. political strength or lack of strength--
and supply the crystal ball.
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 BALTIMORE N' EY/S AME IC .17
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if El'Lei`s.' J TAYLOR
F.f34
Q2
Yasir Arafat
a
ARAFAT AND HIS FOLLOWERS call their Israel assaults
the Sira's ("The Historic Struggle") and preach the war in
terms of decades. He admitted to me that his followers "can
be mobilized only 'around, the issue of fighting." But the move-
ment is deeply at odds within itself. And this accounts for
the Black September group in his Al Fatah which claims re-
sponsibility for the Munich Olympic Games horror.
it is led by Munzeer Salman Khalifah, 20, a Palestinian
t~, Arab formeriy otT I3eirart. Khalifah himself calls Al Fatah
fflC
Bi.oOCkY itI
L_ w grin., ~~ in SnnInmhnr 11170 hravn King
Hussein, ordered his army to battle the guerrillas in Jordan.
again headlined, begins with Palestinian lie wort the civil war militarily, but not politically. And Kha-
b terr?orisnt
A
,
ca
guerrilla leader Yasir Arafat, alias Abu.'1'mmar, wham I once lifah named his Black September. group in protest against
went to see at his hideout in Amman, Jordan, and have writ- King Hussein's action,
ten about. In all the Arab world no man's hands are more In February It began striking European targets and our
Arafat is a t)roaa-snouiaere^, l" .- from 150 to about 300 members, including members in western
man with a grip that is a crasher--a mer erci Europe and Yugoslavia, with some 51 cells throughout West
lessly cruel, evil character; ero Fahrenheit Germany alone.
temperature. His tanned face is leatherly' The CIA has discovered members arrivin; at cast Berlin's
his mt.lstac:he fierce and immense, his an- Schonfeld Airport and being smuggled into West Berlin. 'I-hey
cestral nose hooked, like a scimitar, and his use false passports and each cell is a self-contained secret;
daring brown eyes exchange glances as cell members do not. know the members of the other cells.
sharp as swords in the air. And the CIA is convinced that it was this .group that received
was holed up in a shabby room In
ransom from the West German government last
Ir
illi
$5
a
on
e
m
an old house built in the cliffside. He had winter for a hibhjacked Lufthansa jet, although Bonn has never.
an automatic rifle. on the table and was stated to whom it was paid.
heavily, guarded by camouflage-uniformed "militia." it was ARAFAT TOLD MI: that he and his followers must move
the moment of the Moslem prayer before sundown: "'solar the destiny of ' Arab world negotiations out of the hands of
li'asr." the Aral) governments and, by veto, into their own. The Arab
ARAB ETIQUETTE demands that a host hid Iris guest world is unorganized, and probably unorganizable, and this
"tit ahlan tvasah'lan"-a hundred times welcome. Substitut- militant veto power represents it force which even the best-ignore ing "alf"--a thousand-for "mit," a hundred-builds e)trav-01g nied Arin ugot Party Secretarycannot Leonid I or suppre s rec-
agance Into the courtesy and makes. It ironic, as all Mid- The Conl east hands well know. lie hit me with "all" at once. ognizi g. the importance tance of this was ev et o sive rce, inthevited resArafat to , say-
snow
Arafat leads both Al Fatah, the largest Arab guerrilla
the
g only that "
group and the all-encompassing United Commando Iscold."lie clearly got I recognition, or however, and ae power
Command and. operates the powerful, insidious Voice of Assifa independent of the Arab governments.
radio, the "Voice of Storm," and the Cairo-based Voice of superb blend of terror and blackmail-unspeak-
the Palestine Revolution radio, which blanket the Arab world. It. is a sbl brutish and unspeakably terror tad the ma11 is a-
are but the with of
His followers are drawn from the Palestine evictees, whoaisynary. The Arabpakabl violcji
now total about two and a half million. They have had They dividuals whose real loyalties are to dissident factions. Arafat
political life. They are the moths; Arafat is the candle. They swoops down on the opportunity like a hawk,
are the -victims of two wars and the cause of another. For
yesterday's Arab refugees are today's guerrillas who, in a
great oversimplification, feel that Israel deprives them of
their birthright.
?"Inshallah" (God willing) is the key word and philosophy
in the Arab world. And all Arabs are willing to pay high for
what they call their "akhad taro"-their revenge.
STATINTL
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 WASHINGTON POST
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STATINTL
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r 7 ~ 'P',,,, , C.;1 ' 0-, 1 k 1! 11 il- 14 f/. ~f~1 l 1 h, C'; Q1 01 I' E,
By jack 'rreler?son.
The Black September terror-1
ists, who were behind the
Olympic massacre, have
marked Jordan's King Hussein
as their No, 1 assassination
target. They hope to kill him
on one of his trips abroad.
They take their name from
September, 1970, a black
month on their calendar, when
Kinr Hussein's forces crushed
the Palestinian guerrillas alnd
-drove them out of Jordan.
They have sworn revenge.
The ' Central Intelligence
Agency, ihdced, has linked the
Black September, terrorists to
at Fatah; the main Palestinian
guerrilla o'rganization, '.They
reportedly belong to 'a secret
assassination arm of Fatah's
intelligence service,
.Whether Fatah's leader,
Yasser Arafat, controls the
Black September group is dis-
puted. Ile has disavowed any
responsibility for the terror-
ists. But the CIA has received
"rellable". information that
Black September is merely a
cover for Fatah's assassination
arrm.
The CIA t;ot wind of the as-
sassinati.on plot against King
Hussein from inside Fatah's
intelligence service, which
goes by the name Jihaz al pected to visit Paris, the plot 'Nasfi Tat in Cairo last N-overn'
Rasd. on his life became known, at her and, subsequently, mach
Warns a secret CIA report: first, as the "Paris plan." The an unsuccessful attempt air.'
"Fakhri al A rnari, who is chief trip, however, - never took the life of Jordan's ni assai
of the special services section place, and the terrorists are dor to London, Laved Iiii ii. f
of Ilasd, which is responsible still waiting for their opportu- Blacl. September to =rorist',
for assassinations, kidnap- pity. also have claimed respons]bilP
pings, sabotage and other acts Terrorists dressed as Mus- ity for sabotaging a 15'cst. (ier.'
of terrorism, was still working urn or Christian priests also man plant that manufactured
on his plan to to 'get' King are reported to be stalking parts for the Israeli All,
Hussein of Jordan the next other Jordanian leaders, 1)e- Farce, blowing up the oil
time the latter travels outside cares the CIA: complex at Trieste, Italy, and
Jordan... ? "Fatah's assassination plans murdering five Jordanian .
"Part of the plan involves are aimed solely at Jordanian who allegedly had been s pyingr
one it Husayni,. who is a cap- ministers, army officers and on Palestinians in Europe.
taro and a pilot for Royal. Jor- members of the Royal Hash- The Black Septembergroup'
danian Airlines, who many emite family, it is planned to has also attempted to hijack
times has piloted the King's execute these individuals several Jordanian airliners;
plane when the King has tray- wherever they may be found once successfully. Last May,
eled abroad. abroad in Arab countries; Eu- four Black September znem-
"I.Iusayni's role Is to provide. rope or America. bers-two men and two girls
Rasd with intelligence on the "For this purpose Fatale has -hijacked a Sabena airliner
exact flight data when the accumulated a number of to Tel. Aviv. But Israeli seen-
King next flies, including forged passports which will be rity men killed the rn.tn and
Amman take-off time and any used in. appropriate countries, captured the girls.
planned stops enroute. This in- i.e., Syrian passports in Egypt, Jordanian authorities have
formation is needed for a pos- Egyptian or Kuwait! passports linked Egyptian intelligence:
Bible' backup cinergency at- in the. Sudan and Gulf pass- with the Black September,
tempt, if Rasd discovers that ports in Saudi Arabia, movement. Five days before
the primary plan has been "The plansinclude the adop- the assassination ofWasfi Tel,
leaked. llusayni is also to pro. tiori of' Muslim or Christian a top Jordanian security offi-
vide the King's estimated time priestly disguise to use when c]al told the CIA, classified
of arrival at the destination appropriate or necessary." Black September docuinenty
and is to tell Rasd in advance Some 200 trained terrorists, "were delivered to Egyptian'
whether Husayni will be all Fatah members, are re- intelligence officer in Amman
flying on that particular out- ported to belong to the Black Muhammad Abd al salain for
of-country trip or not" September organization. They safekeeping."
Because the King was ex- assassinated Jordan's Premier 1972, United FAattatlo fSSSdicstq
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