INDICATIONS OF MORE INCIDENTS PLANNED BY MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AGAINST AUTHORITIES

Diplomatic Telex1. RELIABLE SYRIAN SOURCE IN TOUCH WITH SYRIAN OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING HAMA DISTURBANCES AND WITH MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SYMPATHIZERS IN DAMASCUS ADVISED EMBOFF MARCH 1 THAT BROTHERHOOD MAY BE PLANNING “NEW INCIDENTS” IN HAMA. HE SAID THAT IDENTITY OF ASSASSINS OF SECURITY CHIEF GHURRA HAD NOT YET BEEN DISCOVERED. HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT INVESTIGATION HAD SO FAR YIELDED NO EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT IN GHURRA MURDER.2. SOURCE CONTINUED THAT GOVERNOR OF HAMA HAD BEEN CALLED IN BY PRES ASAD TO ACCOUNT FOR PROKBLEMS IN HIS DISTRICT. ACCORDING TO SOURCE, GOVERNOR COMPLAINED THAT HAMA HAD RECEIVED LITTLE DEVELOPMENT FUNDING IN COMPARISION WITH NUMEROUS PROJECTS PLANNED FOR ALMOST ALL OTHER PROVINCES. SOURCE ASSERTED THAT CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 DAMASC 01244 041425Z ASAD IMMEDIATELY RELEASED 50 MILLION L.S. FOR HAMA DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (NOTE: SYRIA PRESS RECENTLY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO CONSTRUCT LARGE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN HAMA DISTRICT, TARGETED FOR COMPLETION BY BEGINNING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR).3. SOURCE STATED THAT HIS CONTACTS DESCRIBE “YOUTH OF MUHAMMAD,” WHO CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR GHURRA SLAYING (REFTEL), AS “MILITARY WING” OF MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, ACTION ARM OF THE MOVEMENT WHICH IN TIMES PAST WOULD LEAD BROTHERHOOD DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST COMMUNISTS AND OTHER POLITICAL ELEMENTS IT OPPOSED. HE ADDED THAT BROTHERHOOD WAS CAREFULLY WATCHED IN DAMASCUS, BUT THAT SURVEILLANCE MORE DIFFICULT IN HAMA. AUTHORITIES WERE CONFIDENT OF THEIR ABILITY CONTAIN BROTHERHOOD IN ALL CITIES EXCEPT HAMA, HE CONCLUDED.4. COMMENT: WE CONTINUE TO SEE NO INDICATION IN DAMASCUS THAT SARG BELIEVES IT UNABLE TO DEAL WITH CHALLENGE BY MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. WE HAVE HEARD NO REPORTS OF ARRESTS OURSIDE HAMA, NOR HAVE WE DETECTED ANY SIGNS INDICATING REGIME’S ANXIETY TOWARD ITS SECURITY. MURPHY CONFIDENTIAL

This post is also available in العربية.