JORDAN MEDIA REACTION ON ARAB CONSULTATIONS,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003804

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 ARAB CONSULTATIONS,
IRAQ, U.S. REGIONAL POLICY.


SUMMARY

NEWS REPORTS IN JORDAN'S DAILIES CONTAINED THREE
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE SAUDI
FOREIGN MINISTER'S MEETING WITH KING ABDULLAH, MEETINGS
BETWEEN JORDANIAN AND PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS OVER THE
NEW ARRANGEMENTS ON THE BRIDGE, AND THE JORDANIAN
GOVERNMENT'S INVITATION TO THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO
VISIT ANY JORDANIAN MILITARY BASE TO ENSURE THAT JORDAN
WOULD NOT BE USED AS A LAUNCHING GROUND FOR AN ATTACK
AGAINST HIS COUNTRY.

EDITORIAL WRITERS COMMENTED ON THE AMERICAN THREATS TO
IRAQ, THE BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS, AND U.S.
REGIONAL POLICY.


NEWS REPORTS

ALL JORDANIAN DAILIES LED WITH REPORTS ON THE MEETING
BETWEEN KING ABDULLAH AND THE SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER,
IN WHICH THEY SOUGHT TO COORDINATE POSITIONS IN
PREPARATION FOR THE FORTHCOMING ARAB MINISTERS' METING
IN CAIRO, ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS.

JORDANIAN DAILIES ALSO REPORTED THE MEETING BETWEEN
JORDAN'S PRIME MINISTER AND SA'EB EREQAT ON THE
SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, AND ANOTHER
MEETING BETWEEN JORDAN'S MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND HIS
PALESTINIAN COUNTERPART, WHICH DEALT WITH THE NEW
ARRANGEMENTS TO FACILITATE THE PASSAGE OF PALESTINIANS
FROM THE WEST BANK TO JORDAN.

CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON
JULY 11 REPORTED THAT THE JORDANIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS HAS INVITED THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO INSPECT ANY
JORDANIAN MILITARY BASE TO ENSURE THAT JORDAN WOULD
HAVE NO ROLE IN ANY FORTHCOMING ATTACK AGAINST HIS
COUNTRY.


EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES

-- THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REJECTS WASHINGTON'S
PLANS TO STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ
DAILY COLUMNIST MOHAMMAD NAJI AMAYREH WROTE IN SEMI-
OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 11:
"AS INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION TO U.S. PLANS IN IRAQ
RISES, PRESIDENT BUSH CONTINUES HIS THREATS AND UNVEILS
HIS DETERMINATION TO CHANGE THE IRAQI REGIME BY ALL
MEANS AT HIS DISPOSAL. IT IS NO LONGER A SECRET THAT
U.S. OBJECTIVES ARE NOT RELATED TO IRAQ'S RESPECT OF
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, ITS WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION, OR WHAT AMERICANS CALL ITS THREATS TO ITS
NEIGHBORS. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CONTROL ARAB OIL AND
SERVE ISRAEL'S INTERESTS. IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT
WASHINGTON CANNOT FIND A SINGLE ARAB OR NON-ARAB VOICE
THAT STANDS WITH IT IN ITS AGGRESSION. WILL THE U.S.
STAND ALONE AGAINST THE WILL OF THE WORLD, SUPPORTED
ONLY BY ISRAEL?"

-- THE BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS IS NOT AS ITS
ENEMIES DESCRIBE IT
FORMER PRESS SECRETARY TO THE ROYAL COURT KHALED
MAHADIN WROTE IN SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY
AL-RAI ON JULY 11: "ATTEMPTS TO PORTRAY THE ARAB
BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS IS NOT, AS ITS CRITICS TRY
TO PORTRAY IT, A NATIONAL STRUGGLE TO DESTROY THE
AMERICAN ECONOMY. THERE IS NOT A FRIEND OR ENEMY OF
THE U.S. WHO DOES NOT REALIZE THAT OUR NATIONAL
ECONOMIES ARE IN THE AMERICAN GRIP, WHICH USES IT TO
SERVE THE AMERICAN CONSUMER, WHO SPENDS LAVISHLY ON HIS
DIET AT THE EXPENSE OF ARABS WHO CANNOT FIND ENOUGH TO
EAT OR TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE. THE ISSUE IS NOT ECONOMIC
EVEN IN THE LAST DEGREE. IT IS A NATIONAL CAUSE THAT
BECOMES NECESSARY IN VIEW OF THE ARAB OFFICIAL MEDIA'S
CONCERN ONLY WITH ISSUES THAT DO NOT CONCERN ARAB
CITIZENS. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE IDENTITY OF WHO IS WITH
US AND WHO IS AGAINST US."

-- A POLICY OF CONVULSIONS AND VENGEFULNESS
TAHER AL-ADWAN, CHIEF EDITOR OF INDEPENDENT, MASS-
APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM WROTE ON JULY 11:
"THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S AGENDA AFFIRMS HIS
PREOCCUPATION WITH TWO ITEMS: OUSTING YASSER ARAFAT
FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PALESTINIANS AND ELIMINATING
PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN OF IRAQ. THIS REMINDS US OF
HIS MILITARY AGENDA IN AFGHANISTAN, TO KILL MULLA OMAR
AND BIN LADEN. THE WARS OF THE U.S. HAVE BECOME
PERSONAL AFFAIRS, AND ITS POLICIES ARE NO LONGER
BEFITTING OF A SUPERPOWER THAT IS SUPPOSED TO UPHOLD
INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY. WHAT THE U.S. PRESIDENT WANTS
IN IRAQ AND PALESTINE IS THE SAME AS WHAT SHARON WANTS,
AND ITS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO JUSTIFY, EXCEPT THROUGH SOME
WARPED EVANGELISM, SUCH AS THE CLAIM THAT IRAQ NEEDS TO
BE DESTROYED IN ORDER TO BUILD DEMOCRACY THERE, AND
THAT THE PNA SHOULD BE REFORMED THROUGH ISRAELI TANKS
AND ARTILLERY."
GNEHM