Iraq Threatens To Help Commandos In Amman

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32392, 3 September 1970, Page 11

Iraq Threatens To Help Commandos In Amman

(N.Z.P.A -Reuter—Copyright)

AMMAN, September 2.

King Hussein, unhurt in a new assassination attempt, today will give Jordan’s answer to a threat of Iraqi military support for the Palestine commandos in the latest round of street fighting in Amman. The King’s Government has tried to play down the extent of the clashes, the worst since the Middle East peace initiative got under way and split the Arab world.

An official spokesman, although reporting an attempt by unidentified men to kill the 34-year-old king as he drove to Amman Airport yesterday evening, denied that the Army had entered the capital or that it was trying to liquidate the Palestine revolution.

The commandos, on the other hand, said that the Army was shelling the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (P.L.0.) killing and wounding several guerrillas. The P.L.O. also declared that there had been no attempt on the King’s life—inferring that the report issued by the Government was a cover-up for a military strike against the commandos. The firing, frequently punctuated by the thud of rockets and shells, died out about mid-evening, leaving the city outwardly peaceful but living in dread of what today might bring.

‘lraqi Threats’

A Government spokesman denied that the halt in shooting resulted from what he termed “Iraqi threats.” This was a reference to an Iraqi diplomatic Note which, according to Bagdad Radio, threatened that the 12,000 Iraqi troops stationed in Jordan would move to the help of the guerrillas if the fighting did not stop at once. The King’s Government will give its reply—presumably by return diplomatic Note—this morning. The Government flatly denied that the Jordanian Army had started the firing, putting the blame on the commandos

A late-night commando communique issued in Beirut claimed that Army shells had hit a Palestine Red Crescent building in Hussein refugee camp, killing one person and wounding several others.

Wounded Die

An ambulance was destroyed and for lack of transport to take them to hospital some of the wounded bled to death, the statement said.

Casualty reports were fragmentary and with movement impossible through streets swept by bullets it was difficult to verify conflicting claims of attacks or counterattacks. An official Jordanian source said that 17 people were wounded in the clashes. But the commando side said that at least six people lost their lives. The fighting flared about

the same time the Government said that the attempt against the king occurred, when he drove in a motorcade to the airport to meet his daughter. Princess Alia, returning from Cairo. The King, who has survived numerous assassination bids before, was the target of a reported guerrilla ambush less than three months ago, on June 9. Amman Airport closed and incoming flights were diverted to Beirut.

Army Outside Commandos checked identity papers at road blocks in areas near their headquarters. But the Army as usual stayed outside the city, controlling access routes and holding hilltops overlooking the capital. In a city where street battles on this scale have become commonplace, it was hard last night to judge just how serious the fighting was. or even just who was fighting whom. As usual, most of the bullets were fired aimlessly into the night, taking their toll of civilians as well as of security forces and Fedayeen. The clashes were not on the scale of the bloody street fighting last June which claimed 1000 casualties in three days and the bulk of the people on either side have no wish to plunge Amman back into such a bloodbath. But the elements of another conflagration are clearly there.

‘Back To Wall’ Despite the uncertain future of the peace talks between Egypt, Jordan and Israel at the United Nations, observers said that the commando movement felt itself with its back to the wall, facing the possibility of what it sees as a sell-out by the Arab States for the sake of the return of the lands occupied by Israel in 1967 While the commandos may be forced into desperate action, King Hussein is equally under pressure to keep the commandos in control Observers said that his negotiators in New York would forfeit their credibility if the home Government could not demonstrate that, if necessary it could keep the commandos in check as the price of a peaceful settlement with Israel In a broadcast last weekend. the King warned the commandos that he would not surrender authority in the State to them. There is no evidence that he himself is seeking a showdown but if a showdown should come, by accident or

design, the King would not be likely to back down this time, observers believed. In turn, the P.L.O. central committee has appealed to the Arab League Secretary-Gen-eral to convene an urgent meeting of the league council to avert the “massacre which, is being prepared against our people” and to avert civil war in Jordan. Mr Kamal Nassar, chief spokesman of the P.L.0., is now in Beirut on a tour of Arab capitals to brief Arab leaders on events in Jordan. Besides Iraq’s threatened intervention, Syria has cabled the commando leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, pledging its political and military support.

In Tripoli, the Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, speaking at a display of military might which included more than 100 Soviet-supplied tanks, said yesterday that his country could not stand idly by watching latest moves in Jordan against Palestinian guerrillas. Addressing massive, cheering crowds in Tripoli yesterday. Colonel Gaddafi said that Libya would reconsider her attitude towards Jordan—at present joined with Egypt in observing a cease-fire with Israel in response to United States Middle East peace proposals. Libya, whose stated policy is no peace and no negotiations, has pledged continued financial and military support to the Palestinian resistance movement

Coup Anniversary

The military parade, which included a jet-fighter fly past was to mark the first anniversary of the Army coup which toppled King Idris.

Colonel Gaddafi attacked Arab States who wanted a popular liberation battle against Israel but provided no help for the Palestinian people’s resistance, and called for unity through battle. In the United Nations the Amman street fighting and the reported assassination attempt gave new impetus today to Big Four Middle East talks. • But there was no immediate indication how the flareup would affect the separate peace contacts being conducted between the Arab States and Israel through the United Nations envoy, Dr Gunnar Jarring.

Absent Envoys Those contacts have been slowed by the absences of the Israeli and Jordanian representatives. News of the fresh trouble in Jordan. reached United Nations headquarters yesterday as ambassadors of the Big Four Powers—the United States, Russia, Britain and France—were preparing for another round today in their continuing effort to formulate the terms of a Middle East political settlement. It will be the forty-second meeting since the four Powers began their consultations on the Arab-Israeli crisis in April last year.

t Dr Jarring, anxious to i maintain the impression of activity, also scheduled I another talk with the > Egyptian Ambassador, Dr . Mohammed Al-Zayyat, their : third in 36 hours. The United Nations peace , envoy and the Egyptian diplo- [ mat, who conferred for about ( an hour yesterday, have made no details available about i their discussion. BUt Dr Al-Zayyat, speaking I to reporters last night, let • slip that he and Dr Jarring spent some time listening to : the radio and said that was how they learned that Israeli ' Ambassador, Mr Yosef Te- ' koah, would not be returning ’ to New York until “early • next week at the earliest.”