Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02AMMAN6333
2002-10-29 16:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON MURDER OF USAID'S LAURENCE

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 006333

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 MURDER OF USAID'S LAURENCE
FOLEY IN JORDAN

Print Media Coverage

-- The assassination of Laurence Foley dominated the
Jordanian dailies on Tuesday October 29. The stories
included a strong condemnation of the act by the
Minister of Information, and by Jordanian political
parties, most notable among them the Islamic Action
Front, and professional associations.

Semi-official influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i devoted
its entire front page to various reports on the story
that highlighted the "soundness" of Jordan's security,
and the satisfaction of the U.S. with Jordanian
authorities' reaction to the assassination. Headlines
included: "U.S. Ambassador lauds the efficacy of
Jordan's security measures;" "Gnehm affirms his
confidence in Jordan's ability top protect diplomatic
missions;" "U.S. Administration lauds the Jordanian
authorities' cooperation;" "American citizens in
Amman: This was an isolated incident." In addition,
the political editor wrote a piece in which he argued
that: "Whoever killed Foley wanted to attack the
Jordanian model of moderation and faithfulness to
national strength. The objectives of the crime go
beyond the innocent American and touch every Jordanian
in his security and livelihood."

The centrist, influential among the elite English
daily Jordan Times concentrated more on Foley's life,
quoting as headline Ambassador Gnehm's description of
the Foley as "A man dedicated to helping others."

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
reported the strong condemnations of the attack, which
were the subject of its lead headline, but its
coverage concentrated more on the details of the
crime. Elements of the report included interviews
with the neighbors, who said that this might have been
the work of a professional, and that Foley's two dogs
did not bark at the assailant. It also reported
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's comment that the
attacks in Moscow, Bali, and Amman are faces of the
same terror.

Independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-
Yawm's coverage resembled that of Al-Dustour, but
included a prominent piece by Islamic writer Samih Al-
Ma'aytah who wrote: "It would be unacceptable to
hesitate in condemning such violence."

Jordan Television Coverage


-- Jordan TV's main Arabic newscast at 8:00 p.m. on
Monday, October 28 carried the assassination of Larry
Foley in Amman as its first news report. The 18-
minute report included 4 minutes of condemnations
expressed by the Minister of Information and
representatives of various political parties and a
local newspaper columnist Mr. Samih Ma'aytah from Al-
Arab Al-Yawm. The report then carried one and a half
minutes featuring excerpts from Ambassador Gnehm's
news conference held at the U.S. Embassy, with Arabic
voice-over, focusing on the late Larry Foley's work
within USAID and on the condolences the Embassy had
received from the King and other Jordanian officials.
A seven-minute feature then followed highlighting
USAID programs in Jordan in the three main sectors,
water, economy and health. The feature included
statements by the Minister of Water and Irrigation,
the Minister of Health, and an official from the Aqaba
Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) praising
USAID's important developmental role in Jordan. In
studio and following the report, Minister of Planning
Dr. Bassem Awadallah was interviewed live, where he
offered his condolences and highly praised USAID's
important role in the various development sectors in
Jordan.

--Jordan TV's English "News at Ten" on Monday, October
28, carried a report similar to the one carried in the
main Arabic newscast. The 10 minute report included 3
minutes of condemnations expressed by the Minister of
Information and representatives of the Professional
Associations Union, the Islamic Action Front and the
Jordanian Communist Party; one and a half minutes from
Ambassador Gnehm's news conference; followed by a
three and a half minute feature in English
highlighting USAID programs in Jordan. Like the
Arabic, the feature included footage of various USAID-
funded projects in Jordan and statements by the
Ministers and an ASEZA official

Editorial Commentary

-- "An attack on Jordan's image and reputation"

Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i
(10/29): "The assassination of the American diplomat
yesterday morning in front of his house in the heart
of Amman was not directed against America but against
the image and reputation of Jordan as a country of
security where foreigners need no guards to be safe.
Every day, we criticize the U.S. policies in the
region, particularly in as far as they are related to
the blind bias in favor of Sharon's measures against
the innocent Palestinian people, who have been
struggling under the duress of the Israeli occupation
for the past 35 years, as well as to siege imposed
against the Iraqi people and threat to launch war
against Iraq. But, criticizing America's policies in
one thing and assaulting the life of an American
citizen is another. The first is acceptable, but the
second is terrorism to be rejected."

-- "Terrorism will not scare and those who tamper with
Jordan's security will pay"

Semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i
(10/29) editorializes: "The ugly crime against the
American diplomat yesterday revealed the black hatred
and rage that the perpetrators of this crime have for
Jordan, its security, its people and its active role
in the region and in the international world. These
games and terrorist strikes will not affect us, will
not terrorize us and will not make us change our path
of supporting our nation's just causes, peace and
dialogue."

-- "Amman too"

Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(10/29): "Terrorist military activity has never had
any successes in Jordan, but this is maybe due to the
fact that Jordan was never seriously targeted. Under
the current circumstances, it seems that Jordan has
moved to that list of countries where the American and
western presence would be targeted. Assassinations
seems to be the easiest to execute, and although we
cannot conclude that the assassination is connected
with Al-Qa'eda, the possibility cannot be ignored, and
this in itself requires more vigilance."

-- "An enemy of himself"

Daily columnist Basem Sakijha writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/29): "Those who shot the American diplomat
yesterday did not help themselves and did not help our
cause. It is an act that perpetuates the image that
everyone has of us [as Arabs and Muslims]; and an act
that supports the American right-wing and the Zionist
lobby in their campaign to defile our image and
reputation."
-- "A despicable crime and Jordan is the target"

Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(10/29): "Jordan's national security and stability
are the targets of such crimes. Under no
circumstances should there be justification or
reasoning for not condemning such crimes, and we
should not settle for one explanation or another to
justify these crimes. If we settle for this, then we
would be justifying the fact that some people
committed a murder like yesterday's, against an
official who works for a developmental agency that has
provided Jordan with millions of dollars over the
years to upgrade less fortunate areas of the Kingdom."

-- "Act of treachery"

Centrist, influential among the elite English daily
Jordan Times (10/29) editorializes: "The
assassination of a U.S. diplomat credited to Jordan
yesterday morning is a despicable and cowardly act.
Whoever is behind the killing aimed not only to take
the life of an innocent person, one whose work here
involved providing financial and economic assistance
to the country, but also to discredit and destabilize
the Kingdom. The Kingdom has not and will not allow
itself to be a sanctuary for those seeking to commit
acts of violence against anyone, especially diplomats
serving in Amman. The people of the country must
stand shoulder to shoulder with the government and all
its agencies and security apparatuses in the search
for the killer or killers and bring them to justice as
a matter of highest priority."
GNEHM