MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004499

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ


Summary

-- The Jordanian media over the past few days was
overtaken by Jordan's counter-attack to Al-Jazirah's
program August 6 that harshly slammed the Jordanian
stand vis--vis the Palestinian issue and Iraq and
criticized the Hashemite rule for their "pro-Zionist"
policies. Newspapers were packed with editorial
commentaries strongly criticizing Qatar and Al-Jazirah
for their slanderous attempts against the Jordanian
stances. Another lead story is the war on Iraq.
Majority of commentaries criticize the United States
as being "obsessed" with launching a war on Iraq.
They also maintain that this war will only serve the
U.S. oil interests and the Zionist Lobby interests,
and has nothing to do with the war on terrorism or the
inspections.

Editorial Commentary

-- "The war is coming"

Daily columnist Musa Hawamdeh writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(08/11): "The war on Iraq is coming for the benefit
of the American oil lords and the Zionist Lobby, and
in order to keep the United States in the defensive so
Americans can forget about the recent financial
scandals and the stupid and impulsive nature of the
U.S. administration. The war is coming unless it
confronts a strong Arab and international opposition
and unless Washington comes to the realization that
striking Iraq is going to be very costly."

-- "The international opposition to the American war"

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(08/11) editorializes: "The growing Arab, regional
and European opposition to the American war against
Iraq is likely to rein in the drive of the hawks of
the Bush administration towards this war. It is also
likely to render any American military action void of
all moral and legal legitimacy. It will expose the
United States as an unjust force with a tendency for
dangerous aggressiveness, not only against Iraq but
against the rest of the countries of the world."

-- "Invading Iraq has nothing to do with inspectors"

Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(08/11): "The clear fact is that the United States is
launching a continuous war against terrorism within
the United States and all over the world. The human
targets for this war are Arabs first and Muslims
second. The battlefield is the land of the Arabs and
Muslims. What is now being prepared for Iraq follows
that America has already started in Afghanistan and
what ISRAELi continues to do in Palestine. The
Americans are looking for a foothold that would
justify a military occupation that would eventually
become the launching pad for taming the entire Arab
region. They have chosen Iraq to be the beginning and
the example."

-- "ISRAEL and Iraq's oil"

Daily columnist Raja Issa writes on the back page of
semi-official Arabic daily Al-Ra'i (08/12): "As far
as the United States is concerned, striking Iraq is
important. Iraq is floating on a sea of oil; a weapon
used America to rule the world. In addition, and as
far as ISRAEL is concerned, Iraq is a threat to its
existence. ISRAEL rules America and American cannot
disobey ISRAEL. Changing the ruling the regime in
Iraq, which is what the United States wants, means
changing this country into a subsidiary to the United
States. When Iraq is over, it would be Iran's turn
under the pretext that it is being armed by Russia.
In reality, all eyes would be on its oil, as well as
the fact that ISRAEL wants to rid itself of any
dangers to its existence."

-- "The Americans are coming"

Chief editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(08/12): "This American obsession with invading Iraq
and destroying it is not much different from Sharon's
obsession with destroying the Palestinian people.
Both the Americans and the ISRAELis hide behind their
policies a deep-rooted hatred for the Arabs, that is
nourished by the September 11 attacks and the
principles of Zionism that have taken root within the
decision-making circles in the United States. The
obsession of war and hatred that are being brought by
ISRAEL and the United States might be the hurricane
that envelops the region. However, this hurricane is
going to stop no matter what, but the doors of a long
and bitter struggle between the Arabs on one hand and
America and Zionism on the other will have been opened
for a very long time."

GNEHM