MEDIA REACTION ON SIGNATURE OF FOREIGN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005736

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TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON SIGNATURE OF FOREIGN
RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT AND CONGRESSIONAL
RESOLUTION ON IRAQ
Summary


-- Lead stories in all papers today, October 3,
highlight the resolution text agreed to by leaders of
the U.S. House of Representatives and some U.S.
Senators authorizing President Bush to use force
against Iraq. Under headlines such as "Beat of U.S.-
Iraq war drums goes on" (Jordan Times) and "Bush takes
new step towards war" (Al-Arab Al-Yawm),reports
highlight President Bush's press conference in the
White House welcoming the resolution. Another lead
story reports Jordan's official reaction to the U.S.
legislation regarding Jerusalem. Minister of
Information Mohammad Adwan voiced "deep concern" over
the legislation and considered the move a
"contradiction with international law and relevant
U.N. resolutions, and a dangerous violation of the
rights of the Palestinian people."

One editorial criticizes the U.S. decision on
Jerusalem, arguing that many people will now see
Congress as "the bastion of enmity and hostility
towards the Arabs." Influential columnist Urayb
Rantawi, however, maintains that the reaction to this
issue is another tempest in a teacup, and will
disappear as soon as the resolution to strike Iraq is
adopted.

Editorial Commentary

-- "The catastrophic stroke of the pen"

Centrist, influential among the elite English daily
Jordan Times (10/03) editorializes: "By signing into
law a congressional bill asking that Jerusalem be
considered the capital of Israel in all official
documents, President George Bush not only violated
international principles and U.N. Security Council
resolutions. He condemned the Palestinians to more
frustration, Israelis to more violence and the whole
region to more instability. The message that Bush
sent to the international community at large is that,
whatever unlawful actions a country has committed .
Washington will not only condone, but also sanction
the outcome of such actions. The message that Bush
sent to Palestinians and Arabs, both Muslims and
Christians, is that his administration has already
decided the outcome of final status talks even before
their start; that the whole peace process is useless
and irrelevant; that he has subscribed to the policy
of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Bush's
decision was indeed a catastrophe for Palestinians,
Israelis, Arabs, the region, the international
community as a whole and - it will show soon enough -
U.S. interests and foreign as well as domestic
policies."

-- "The Congress and the war against Palestine and
Iraq"

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/03) editorial concludes: "A number of people
inside and outside the region are going to view the
U.S. Congress as one of the bastions of extremism and
enmity towards Arab and Muslim causes. The ink did
not even dry on the U.S. legislation when the Congress
issued another resolution authorizing the U.S.
President to use force against Iraq. This means that
the American legislative authority has turned into a
war organization, led by Washington, against Arab
causes and their rights in Palestine and Iraq."

-- "The Jerusalem law"

Daily columnist Urayb Rantawi writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/03): "The Congressional law will pass like so
many others before it. The Security Council will
issue a resolution reiterating the international
community's rejection of any unilateral measures. The
need to activate the negotiations to reach an
agreement will be stressed. The law is a storm in a
tea cup that will be over as soon as the other storm
in a tea cup starts -- the expected resolution on
Iraq."
GNEHM