Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN3715
2002-07-08 14:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, OCCUPIED

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003715

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR,
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD
USAID/ANE/MEA
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
USCINCCENT/CCPA, USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL
NICOSIA FOR ILMG
STATE PASS TO AID

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES

SUMMARY
NEWS REPORTS TODAY CONCENTRATED ON TWO ITEMS: JORDAN'S
DENIAL OF PRESS REPORTS THAT JORDANIAN TERRITORY WOULD
BE USED TO LAUNCH AN ATTACK ON IRAQ, AND THE SACKING OF
THE PNA'S CHIEF OF INTELLIGENCE IN THE WEST BANK.

EDITORIAL WRITERS COMMENTED ON THE FAILED TALKS BETWEEN
IRAQ AND THE UN, AND THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT'S
DECISION TO FACILITATE THE PASSAGE OF PALESTINIANS
COMING FROM THE WEST BANK. SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL
ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI'S COLUMNISTS ASKED IF THIS IS THE
START OF THE TRANSFER, WHILE CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL
ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR'S COLUMNISTS HIGHLIGHTED THE
POSITIVE HUMANITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVED.


NEWS REPORTS

JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 8 WERE DOMINATED BY THE
JORDANIAN MINISTER OF INFORMATION'S DENIAL OF PRESS
REPORTS THAT JORDANIAN TERRITORIES WOULD BE USED AS A
LAUNCHING GROUND FOR AN ATTACK AGAINST IRAQ, AND HIS
ACCUSATION THAT THESE REPORTS ARE PART OF AN INSIDIOUS
CAMPAIGN TO CAST DOUBT ON JORDAN'S NATIONALIST
CREDENTIALS. THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ALSO
ADDED HIS ASSERTION THAT JORDAN RESPECTS IRAQ'S UNITY
AND REFUSES THE USE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THAT COUNTRY.

REPORTS ALSO ADDRESSED THE SACKING OF THE DIRECTOR OF
THE PALESTINIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE IN THE WEST BANK.
SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI REFERRED
TO "CONFLICTING REPORTS ON THE DISMISSAL, WHILE OTHER
DAILIES REPORTED THAT THE DISMISSAL HAS TAKEN PLACE,


EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES

-- THE TALKS AND THE POLITICAL FANTASIA
PROMINENT JORDANIAN COLUMNIST TARIQ MASARWAH WROTE IN
SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY
8: "NO ONE SHOULD HAVE DELUDED HIMSELF INTO THINKING
THAT A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION TO THE SABRI-ANAN TALKS
WOULD HAVE OPENED THE ROAD TO A SETTLEMENT. ANA'S TASK
WAS TO ASK IRAQ FOR THE RETURN OF THE WEAPONS
INSPECTORS, PERIOD. SHOULD HE GO BEYOND THIS SCRIPT,
HE REMEMBERS VERY WELL HIS PREDECESSOR WHO WAS SACKED
BY WASHINGTON BECAUSE HE DISOBEYED INSTRUCTIONS AND
PUBLISHED THE REPORT ON THE QANA MASSACRE IN KEEPING
WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION. IRAQ'S PROBLEM IS
WITH THE U.S. ONLY. ARAB RELATIONS OR RELATIONS WITH
THE GULF WILL NOT PLAY ANY ROLE IN LIFTING THE
SANCTIONS, NOT IN PREVENTING THE AMERICAN AGGRESSION
AGAINST THAT COUNTRY."

-- HAS THE TRANSFER STARTED?
PROMINENT COLUMNIST FAHED AL-FANEK WROTE IN SEMI-
OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 8: "IN
1948, JORDAN OPENED ITS BORDERS TO PALESTINIAN
IMMIGRATION IN PREPARATION FOR ANNEXING THE WEST BANK.
IN 1967, JORDAN DID THE SAME ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS,
AND EACH TIME THIS ONLY SERVED TO EMPTY PALESTINIAN
TERRITORIES OF THEIR POPULATION AND TEMPT ISRAEL TO
ANNEX THIS TERRITORY. EGYPT, BY CONTRAST, DID NOT ACT
ON THE SAME HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS IN GAZA, WHICH IS NOW
SO DENSELY POPULATED THAT ISRAEL CANNOT WAIT TO GET RID
OF IT. IT IS NOT TRUE THAT THE NUMBER INCOMERS AND
OUTGOERS ARE EQUAL, AN ASSERTION THAT ONLY AIMS TO DENY
THE PROBLEM. IF WE ARE KEEN TO KEEP THE WEST BANK
PALESTINIAN, WE SHOULD START BY KEEPING JORDAN
JORDANIAN."

-- REGARDING THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR'S STATEMENT ON
PROCEDURES AT THE BRIDGE
DAILY COLUMNIST YASSER ZA'ATREH WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT,
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 8: "THIS IS
A NORMAL SEASON WHEN MANY PEOPLE COME TO SEE THEIR
RELATIONS, THEN RETURN HOME. AS FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO
ESCAPE, THEY PREFER A LESS BUSY MONTH TO GO TO ANY OF
THE FOREIGN CONSULATES IN JERUSALEM TO GET AN EASY
VISA. THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
WERE NECESSARY AND WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL RESOLVE THE
SEASONAL PROBLEM. WE ALSO ADD OUR ASSERTION THAT NO
ONE MUST THINK OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AS A HERD OF
SHEEP WHO CAN SIMPLY BE LOADED ONTO TRUCKS AND DUMPED
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER.; DO YOU NOT REMEMBER
THE HEROES OF MARJ AL-ZUHOUR?"
GNEHM