TERRORISM, A THREAT TO NEAR EASTERN STABILITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91T01172R000300290023-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2006
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: July 26, 1951
• Content Type: IM

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Dissemination Authorized
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
26 July 1951
Copy No.1 4
INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Terrorism, a Threat to Near Eastern Stability
Irresponsible Near East nationalism, flaring up in terrorist out-
bursts like the assassination of King Abdullah, poses a potential threat
to the pro-Westerh orientation of the Arab world.
The assassination of King Abdullah on 20 July was carried out, by
an Arab thought to be a member of the Holy War Fighters, a terrorist
group first organized in the,mid-1940's.by the Arab Higher Committee,
the political party recognized by the British as representing the Arabs
of Palestine. The leading figure in the Committee was the former Grand
Mufti.of. Jerusalem, Haj Amin a1-Husayni, a Nazi sympathizer in World
War II. Violently anti-British and anti-Jewish, the Mufti has been an
open opponent of King Abdullah, whose annexation of the major part of
Arab Palestine in April 1950 frustrated the Mufti.'s ambitions to form
an Arab Palestine government.
In the Mandate period and during the Palestine fighting the Holy
War Fighters were active chiefly against the Jews. The group was re-
portedly disarmed and disbanded at some point in the Palestine fighting
by the Arab Legion, the British trained, officered, and financed army of
Jordan
A successor terrorist group of this same name, whose ultimate mime
is to regain control over Palestine, was organized in March 1950 on
instructions from the former Grand Mufti.
that Abdulla el-Tel, ex-colonel: in the Arab -peg on and former military
governor of Jerusalem who broke with . King Abdullah over the latter's
attempts to make peace with Israel, ha& assumed leadership of the group.
Recruits for the organization were. sought mainly among the Palestine
Arabs in refugee camps; money and arms were collected from sympathizers
in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. It is not known how successful these
campaigns were.
I Icontacts exist between the Holy War
Fighters and the Moslem Brotherhood, a fanatical, nationalistic, ter-
rorist organization which has caused trouble in Egypt and Syria. There
are also reported links with the Syrian Nationalist Socialist Party,
which has promoted Iraqi-Syrian union. Its adherents have on occasion
indulged in terrorist activities and were responsible for the recent
murder of Riad al-Solh, the former Prime Minister of Lebanon.
Other terrorist groups, such as the Brothers of Freedom, the Military
Organization for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Palestinian Com-
mittee for Guerrilla Action are currently active in Arab areas. Connections
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have been reported among these groups and between them and the various
elements of the Arab Higher Executive, the Mufti's current organization.
Some individuals involved in.the Palestinian Committee for Guerrilla
Action are reputedly Communists, and the Moslem Brotherhood has like-
wise been charged with having on occasion received Communist support.
There is no indicati however, of Soviet control or direction of the
activities of any of'the groups.
The disorders attendant upon terrorist activities will create
opportunities that Communists can exploit. Moreover, the violence and
brutality commonly exhibited in the suppression of terrorist activities --
such as the Arab Legion has displayed subsequent to Abdullah's assassi-
nation -- sow the seeds of further dissention.
With the exception of the Moslem Brotherhood, which has on occasion
attracted a sizeable following, most of these organizations are numerically
insignificant. These groups do not present a military threat to any
government; rather it is the disruptive,capacity of isolated acts of
terrorism that creates the.danger. Political assassination and the fear
of it are a menace to the internal. security of the Arab states and to the
entire Middle East. Coupled with the increase'in rampant nationalism
and anti-Westernism, terrorism is a formidable deterrent to those Arab
leaders who wish to reach a settlement with Israel or to cooperate with
the West.
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