JORDAN: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, QUADRIPARTITE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003934 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 A LEAD STORY IN ALL JORDANIAN DAILIES TODAY, JULY 17, IS ON AN AMBUSH BY PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE FIGHTERS ON A BUS NEAR A JEWISH SETTLEMENT YESTERDAY, KILLING SEVEN SETTLERS. PRESIDENT BUSH IS REPORTED AS HAVING CONDEMNED THE OPERATION AND WHITEHOUSE SPOKESMAN ARI FLEISCHER IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THIS ATTACK UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUSING ON PEACE. WITHIN THAT SAME LEAD STORY, THE DAILIES REPORT THAT THE QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE IS DIVIDED OVER THE U.S. STAND ON ARAFAT. ANOTHER FRONTPAGE REPORT SAYS THAT U.S.DEFENSE SECRTARY RUMSFELD HAS ORDERED AN UPDATE OF ALL U.S. CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR A POSSIBLE WAR AGAINST IRAQ. INDEPENDENT, MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL- YAWM CARRIES A REUTERS REPORT FROM WASHINGTON, QUOTING FLEISCHER AS SAYING THAT PRESIDENT BUSH WILL MEET KING ABDULLAH IN WASHINGTON ON AUGUST 1. EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES DEAL WITH THE ANTICIPATED MIILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ, AND COMMENT ON THE ARAB MINISTERS' MEETINGS WITH THE QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE IN NEW YORK, CALLING FOR AN ARAB STAND THAT DEFENDS THE ARAB STATUS QUO. EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES ON IRAQ -- "THE AFGHANIZATION OF PALESTINE AND IRAQ" DAILY COLUMNIST MOUSA HAWAMDAH WRITES ON THE OP-ED PAGE OF CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR (07/17): "THE AFGHANI EXPERIENCE WILL BE THE BEST METHOD THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED BY U.S. POLITICIANS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD. THE AMERICANS' SUCCESS IN BRINGING ZAHER SHAH, WHO DOES NOT RULE NOW, BACK TO KABUL AMD PUTTING HAMID KARZAI AS A TEMPORARY PRESIDENT AND THEN ELECTED BY THE LOUGERGA WILL BE THE MODEL FOLLOWED BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION IN THE YEARS TO COME UNTIL THIS MODEL FAILS A DISMAL FAILURE OR THE UNITED STATES SUFFERS GREATER HARM FROM IT." MAKING IT A POINT THAT IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THE UNITED STATES IS IMPLEMENTING THE AFGHANI MODEL IN PALESTINE, IT IS ALSO IMPLEMENTING IT IN IRAQ, HAWAMDAH CONCLUDES: "THE UNITED STATES WANTS, BY ALL MEANS, TO AFGHANIZE IRAQ IN SUCH A BLIND MANNER AS IF IT IS MEDICAL PERSCRIPTION OF A RECIPE. HOWEVER, PALESTINE AND IRAQ ARE DIFFERENT. THE U.S. LOGIC DOES NOT KNOW THE GAME OF DIFFERENCES. IT WANTS TO IMPLEMENT WHAT IT THINKS IS SUCCESSFUL IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD. IT MIGHT EVEN GENERALIZE SUCH A MODEL AND IMPLEMENT IT IN EUROPEAN, AMERICAN, AND ASIAN COUNTRIES, WHICH WILL BRING BACK THE HANDS OF TIME WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE OPINION OF THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLES, WHOM THE UNITED STATES WANTS TO HELP." -- "A FALSE U.S. PRETEXT TO TOPPLE SADDAM !!" DAILY COLUMNIST IBRAHIM ABSI WRITES ON THE OP-ED PAGE OF CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR (07/17): "THE UNITED STATES IS PREPARING ALL ITS INTELLIGENCE, MILITARY,POLITICAL, AND FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES TO TOPPLE SADDAM NOT BECAUSE HE IS A SOLO RULER OR DESPOTIC DICTATOR AS PROPAGATED BY U.S. MEDIA ORGANS AS WELL AS DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. THIS DOES NOT CONCERN THE UNITED STATES WHATSOEVER. HOWEVER, WHAT CONCERNS IT IS THE FACT THAT THE PANARAB IRAQI LEADERSHIP - NOT JUST SADDAM ALONE - REFUSES TO SUBMIT TO DOMINANT U.S. POWER AND ALSO REFUSES TO ORBIT IN THE U.S. CELESTIAL SPHERE AND TO SUCCUMB TO U.S. HEGEMONY, INFLUENCE, AND THE DICTATIONS OF U.S. POLICY. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS SOME SORT OF A PERSONAL VENDETTA THAT PROMPTS THE U.S. PRESIDENT TO TAKE REVENGE FROM SADDAM HUSSEIN AFTER GEORGE BUSH SR. HAD FAILED TO OUST THE IRAQI PRSIDENT." AFTER NOTING THAT THE UNITED STATES IS ACCUSING IRAQ OF TERRORISM AND OF POSSESSING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, ABSI CONCLUDES: "THE RACIST ZIONIST ENTITY IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE IS THE UNDECLARED PRETEXT, BEHIND WHICH U.S. CALLS FOR EXPEDITING THE TOPPLING OF THE IRAQI LEADERSHIP HIDE. WASHINGTON CONSIDERS THE IRAQI REGIME AND BAGHDAD'S REJECTION OF U.S.-ZIONIST PROJECTS TO SETTLE THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE'S ISSUE AS A THREAT TO THIS ENTITY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY SO SINCE IRAQ - DESPITE THE UNJUST SIEGE THAT HAS BEEN IMPOSED ON IT FOR OVER TEN YEARS - IS STILL CHAMPIONING AND WILL CONTINUE TO CHAMPION THE ARAB DREAM AND STAND AGAINST ALL IMPERIALIST AND ZIONIST SCHEMES, WHICH SEEK TO MAKE THE ARAB NATION DROP TO ITS KNEES." EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES ON THE QUADRIPARTITE MEETING -- "THE NEW YORK MEETING AND U.S. SELECTIVITY" COMMENTING ON THE QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE'S MEETING IN NEW YORK, TAHER AL-ADWAN, CHIEF EDITOR OF INDEPENDENT, MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM WRITES ON JULY 17: "THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF JORDAN, EGYPT, AND SAUDI ARABIA WENT TO NEW YORK TO MEET WITH THE INTERNATIONAL QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE WHILE HOLDING A WEAK STAND . . . IT IS REGRETTABLE THAT INTER-ARAB DIFFERENCES OVER PARTICIPATION AND REPRESENTATION AT THE QUADRIPATITE COMMITTEE'S MEETING SHOULD RENDER ANY DECISION MADE A MERE CONSECRATION OF THE STATE OF ARAB WEAKNESS." ADWAN CONCLUDES: "WE DEMAND THAT THE THREE FOREIGN MINISTERS DEFEND THE ARAB STAND AS A WHOLE. THIS WILL REQUIRE THEM TO CONVINCE THE QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE TO AGREE TO MEET WITH ALL MEMBERS OF THE FOLLOW-UP COMMITTEE. THE FACT IS THAT U.S. SELECTIVITY AT THIS QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE'S MEETING MAY PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE SELECTIVITY WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IS CONVENES. INDEED, THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL, WHICH NOWADAYS REFUSE TO MEET OR DEAL WITH ARAFAT, MAY DEMAND THE EXCLUSION OF SYRIA AND LEBANON FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. THIS IN ITSELF IS A DISASTEROUS POLICY THAT SERVES THE U.S. POLICY OF SUPERIORITY, WHICH DOES NOT SEE BEYOND SHARON'S NOSE." -- "THE NEW YORK MEETINGS" CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR (07/17) EDITORIALIZES: "THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL MEETING CAN OFFER A NEW PUSH FOR THE PEACE PROCESS IF IT TAKES THE RIGHT START BY BASICALLY CONSECRATING THE ISSUE OF WITHDRAWAL OF OCCUPATION FORCES FROM PALESTINIAN CITIES AND TOWNS TO PAVE THE WAY FOR REQUIRED REFORMS ON THE PART OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY." AL-DUSTOUR ADDS: "WE ALREADY REALIZE THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS THE FIRST SAY IN THE QUADRIPARTITE COMMITTEE'S MEETINGS. HOWEVER, OPPOSITION FROM THE REST OF THE PARTIES OF THE U.S. VIEW, WHICH IS TOTALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE ISRAELI VIEW, SHOULD LEAVE A RAY OF HOPE OF PUTTING THE NEW YORK MEETINGS ON THE RIGHT TRACK. THIS SHOULD YIELD PARCTICAL AND TANGIBLE RESULTS THAT COULD OPEN THE ROAD FOR A RETURN TO NEGOTIATIONS." AL-DUSTOUR CONCLUDES: "WE HOPE THAT INTERNATIONAL EFFORT WILL SUCCEED IN GIVING THE PEACE PROCESS A REAL PUSH FORWARD AND THAT THE PARTIES WILL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE PRACTICAL AND TANGIBLE RESULTS ON THE GROUND." GNEHM