Leaked files reveal Assad\'s plot against Jordan

  The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies have sought to destabilize the neighboring kingdom of Jordan by manipulating peaceful demonstrations there and turning them into deadly violence, leaked files obtained by Al Arabiya show. The leaks came amid rising political tensions in Jordan, with a decision by King Abdullah to dissolve the parliament and call for early elections, thereby sparking mass protests in the capital Amman. The files reveal that the Syrian regime, joined by Russia and Iran, are involved in arming Jordanian demonstrators in order to “ease the pressure on the Syrian government” and to export the crisis in Syria to the Jordanian Kingdom. The documents were obtained with the assistance of members of the Syrian opposition who refused to elaborate on how they laid hand on the documents. Al Arabiya reported that it has verified and authenticated hundreds of these documents and that it has decided to disclose the ones with substantial news value and political relevance. Peaceful protests for now Last Friday, thousands of Jordanian Islamist supporters marched in the largest demonstration since Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted last year, calling on King Abdullah to accelerate democratic reforms.??Protestors from across the country flocked to the main street leading to the Husseini mosque in downtown Amman after Friday prayers. The “Friday to Rescue the Nation” rally was called by the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition party, to push for their demands for broader political representation and a more democratic parliament. Friday’s protests were attended by peaceful demonstrators; however leaked documents reveal that the Syrian regime had been plotting to intervene in its neighboring kingdom and put pressure on the Jordanian government by turning protests violent. In a first classified document sent on March 5, brigadier Hassan Abdel Rahman, chief of the Syrian Special Operations Unit, addressed Col. Fouad Fadel, coordinator of foreign operations, and Bahjat Suleiman, Syria’s ambassador in Jordan. Abdel Rahman gave orders to “incite the armed cells close to the Syrian regime in Jordan to move,” and he also requests “provocative actions from the Syrian army at the borders with the kingdom. Abdel Rahman also asked Fadel and Suleiman to organize mass demonstrations on the Jordanian streets in coordination with Islamist groups, naming the Muslim Brotherhood, in order to create pressure on the government. It is worth mentioning that in Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood is one of the main political entities opposed to the Assad regime. After Qatar and Turkey, the Syrian regime’s policy of “embarrassing states” continues with Jordan. Another leaked file sent on April 29, also by Hassan Abdel el Rahman to Fadel and Suleiman, suggests heightening the popular pressure on the king and his family through organizing street movements. Abdel Rahman clearly states that his orders are based on suggestions and information sent from the Joint Command, meaning Russia, Iran and Syria. Further top-secret documents leaked from Syria reveal clear orders to “eliminate” defected Air Force pilot who escaped to Jordan incriminating him for “High treason.” Another document disclosed the transfer of Syrian prisoners from Saadnaya prison in Syria into the Hashemite Kingdom. If Syrian President Assad had conspired to “create chaos” in neighboring Jordan, the high-classified documents leaked to Al Arabiya expose Russia and Iran of being involved in the plot.