JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, QUADRIPARTITE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003910

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, QUADRIPARTITE
MEETING


SUMMARY
NEWS REPORTS IN JORDAN'S DAILIES ON JULY 16 COVERED THE
KING'S INTERVIEW WITH NBC IN WHICH HE REAFFIRMED THAT
THERE IS NO UNDERSTANDING WITH THE U.S. TO USE JORDAN
AS A BASE FOR AN ATTACK ON IRAQ, THE VISIT ORGANIZED
FOR JOURNALISTS TO JORDAN'S AIR BASE IN THE EAST TO
CONFIRM THAT THERE ARE NO U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL
THERE, AN INTERVIEW WITH THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR IN AMMAN,
AND REPORTS THAT THE U.S. WOULD ASK ARAB MINISTERS AT
THE QUADRIPARTITE MEETING TO "MARGINALIZE ARAFAT AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE."

EDITORIAL WRITERS COMMENTED ON A NUMBER OF DOMESTIC
SUBJECTS, AND A FEW WROTE AGAINST THE ANTICIPATED
MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ, WARNING OF A POPULAR
REACTION AGAINST THE U.S.


NEWS REPORTS

THE LEAD STORY IN ALL JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 16
COVERED KING ABDULLAH'S INTERVIEW WITH NBC, IN WHICH HE
REAFFIRMED, ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS, THAT THERE IS NO
UNDERSTANDING WITH WASHINGTON REGARDING A STRIKE
AGAINST IRAQ, AND REITERATED THE WARNING THAT STRIKING
IRAQ OR PARTITIONING IT WOULD LEAD TO A CATASTROPHE.

DAILIES ALSO REPORTED THAT JOURNALISTS WERE ALLOWED TO
VISIT THE MUWAFFAQ AL-SALTI AIRBASE IN AZRAQ (EAST OF
JORDAN) TO CONFIRM THAT THERE ARE NO U.S. TROOPS THERE.

ASSABEEL (INDEPENDENT WEEKLY REFLECTING THE VIEWS OF
THE ISLAMIC ACTION FRONT) INTERVIEWED THE IRAQI
AMBASSADOR IN AMMAN, WHO SAID THAT HIS COUNTRY IS FULLY
PREPARED, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS NO WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION. IN A POSSIBLE REFERENCE TO REPORTS ABOUT
A JORDANIAN ROLE IN THE MILITARY ACTION, THE AMBASSADOR
SAID: "WE KNOW FROM WHERE THE WIND WILL BLOW, AND WE
KNOW FROM WHERE THE HYENAS WILL COME TO GNAW OUR FLESH,
BUT IRAQ IS LIKE A WOUNDED WOLF THAT SLEEPS WITH HIS
EYES HALF SHUT, AND IT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY
BETRAYAL."

COVERAGE OF THE QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE MEETING
HIGHLIGHTED DIFFERENT ASPECTS, FROM A SAUDI PAPER BEING
SUBMITTED BY THE MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF JORDAN
AND EGYPT, TO THE "AMERICAN INSTRUCTIONS TO MARGINALIZE
ARAFAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AFTER WASHINGTON REALIZED
THE DIFFICULTY OF OUSTING HIM."


EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES

-- NO TO THE AMERICAN STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ
THE LEADER COMMENTARY IN CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL
ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 16 READ: "JORDAN DENIES
REPEATEDLY AND EMPHATICALLY THE PRESENCE OF AMERICAN
FORCES ON ITS TERRITORY, AND IT OPENS ITS AIR BASES AND
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS TO FOREIGN JOURNALISTS TO
CONFIRM FOR THEMSELVES THE FALSEHOOD OF MEDIA REPORTS
IN THIS CONCERN. AT THE SAME TIME, JORDAN WARNS
AGAINST THE FOLLY OF THE UNITED STATES IN BEING DRIVEN
SOLELY BY THE LOGIC OF INIQUITOUS POWER, AND IT WARNS
AGAINST THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES TO THE WHOLE REGION
SHOULD WASHINGTON CARRY OUT ITS THREATS."

-- THE WORLD IS NOT A CHESS SET
DR. NABIL AL-SHARIF, CHIEF EDITOR OF CENTER-LEFT,
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR WROTE ON JULY 16:
"THE AMERICAN GIANT HAS SUFFERED FROM HIS WOUNDED PRIDE
SINCE THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, SO HE SEEKS TO
RESTORE HIS PRESTIGE BY IMPOSING HIS HEGEMONY ON THE
WORLD AND PLAYING SCISSORS AND PASTE WITH THE WORLD MAP
AS A CHILD DOES ON HIS COMPUTER. THE REMAINING MONTHS
OF THIS SUMMER MAY BRING FIRE WHOSE HEAT IS BEYOND
IMAGINATION. BUT THE REALITY OF LIFE ON THIS PLANET IS
ALSO PREGNANT WITH SURPRISES TO TYRANNICAL POWERS THAT
ARE BLINDED BY THEIR POWER TO THE POINT WHERE THEY
CANNOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FACTS AND WISHFUL THINKING.
THE WORLD IS NOT A CHESS SET, AND PEOPLE ARE NOT
PAWNS."

-- SHOULD IRAQ BE ATTACKED
ATEF AL-JOLANI, CHIEF EDITOR OF ASSABEEL (INDEPENDENT
WEEKLY REFLECTING THE VIEWS OF THE ISLAMIC ACTION
FRONT) WROTE ON JULY 16: "ALL ARAB STATES HAVE DECLARED
OPENLY THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE PROSPECTIVE AMERICAN
AGGRESSION AGAINST IRAQ, BUT THE U.S. HAS TURNED A DEAF
EAR AND AFFIRMED ITS INTENTION NOT ONLY TO CARRY OUT
ITS AGGRESSION, BUT ALSO TO VIOLATE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF
ARAB STATES IN COURSE OF THIS ATTACK WITHOUT SEEKING
THE PERMISSION OF THESE STATES. AS FOR THE ARAB PEOPLE,
WHOSE HEARTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITH THE CAUSE OF THEIR
NATION, THEIR SWORDS HAVE REMAINED DYSFUNCTIONAL TO A
POINT THAT MADE AMERICAN OFFICIALS DISCOUNT THEM. THEY
ARE NOW CALLED UPON TO PROVE TO THE HAWKS OF THE U.S.
THE ERROR OF THEIR CALCULATIONS, WHICH HAVE TOTALLY
DISMISSED THE ARAB STREET, AND TO CONFIRM TO THE U.S.
AND ITS ALLIES THAT PEOPLE CAN BE SURPRISING." GNEHM