Office of the Historian

304. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State1

Amman, November 4, 1968, 0720Z.

7323. Subject: King’s request. Sitrep No. 5.

1.
King Hussein telephoned Emb officer who at home owing curfew [Page 603] to state following: (a) he is trying hard to “clean up the mess”;2 (b) requested that US promptly inform Israelis that Fedayeen organizations may try diversionary moves by causing incidents on ceasefire line; advise Israelis be patient because he, Hussein, cannot have too many things on his plate at this critical time. (c) King also urged that all parties move forward as promptly as possible today in New York to secure Israeli acceptance of Nov resolution.
2.
Fact that King personally made these requests can of course be cited.
Symmes
  1. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 23-8 JORDAN. Confidential; Flash. Also sent to Tel Aviv and repeated to Beirut, London, Cairo, USUN, and CINCSTRIKE/CINCMEAFSA.↩
  2. The domestic crisis began on November 2 when a crowd of demonstrators attacked the U.S. Embassy in Amman on the anniversary of the signing of the Balfour Declaration. A number of windows in the Embassy were broken, one vehicle was damaged, and the U.S. flag was torn down. Police and security units dispersed the crowd. (Telegram 7315 from Amman, November 2; ibid.) On November 3 the Jordanian Army arrested 70 members of the Tahir Dadlan Fedayeen group and held them responsible for instigating the attack on the Embassy. (Telegram 7321 from Amman, November 4; ibid.) Heavy fighting between Fedayeen units and the Jordanian Army broke out following the arrests. (Telegram 7322 from Amman, November 4; ibid.) The Embassy reported that, in addition to the arrests, the government informed al-Fatah leaders that no uniformed Fedayeen would be permitted in Jordanian towns, that all Fedayeen organizations would be interdicted from firing across cease-fire lines, and that any infiltration operations into Israel or occupied territory would have to be coordinated with the Jordanian Army. (Telegram 7328 from Amman, November 4; ibid.) On the afternoon of November 4 the Embassy reported that most Fatah leaders and PLO leader Yasir Arafat were cooperating with the army in an attempt to defuse the situation. (Telegram 7333 from Amman, November 4; ibid.)↩