MEDIA REACTION ON WAR IN IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001885

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

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON WAR IN IRAQ


Summary

-- Lead stories in all papers today, March 30, focus
on developments in the war in Iraq. Banner front-page
headlines highlight conflicting reports about the
suspension of the allied move towards Baghdad. Other
major reports also highlight the suicide bombing in
Najaf, which killed four American marines. Inside
pages highlight, with photos, the anti-Iraq war
demonstrations and protests that took place over the
weekend in various parts of the Kingdom.

Editorial Commentary

-- "A call for catching breath"

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(03/30) editorializes: "There are indications that
the U.S. and British military operations in Iraq are
facing major difficulties, so much so that the
military leaderships had to slow down ground
operations.. Countries opposing the war have probably
found in this an opportunity to reiterate their call
for halting military actions and for resuming dialogue
in order to resolve the Iraqi issue peacefully.. If
there is no chance to stop this evil war, then the
international community must create this chance by
increasing protests and by addressing the American
people directly, to show them how much their
reputation has been damaged as a result of this human
disaster that befell the innocent Iraqis, and to
remind them of their moral responsibility towards
changing the stance of their leadership."

-- "America, Iraq and Israel"

Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(03/30): "America, in its many wars, used to arm
itself with legality and morality, because
international legitimacy was always one of its tools.
However, this characteristic was abandoned under the
current U.S. administration, which opted to depend on
absolute force.. Iraq owns the second largest oil
reserves in the world after Saudi. We can just
imagine the power that America will have if it
controls the oil reserves of Saudi, Iraq, Kuwait and
the rest of the countries of the Arab Gulf. Iraq
manufactured chemical weapons since 1980 with American
and European technical help, and used them without any
objection or criticism from the West. On the other
hand, America itself is the biggest user of chemical
weapons. The amount of depleted uranium it left in
Iraq and Kuwait after the second Gulf war total 40
tons, which raised the levels of cancer among the Iraq
to seven times. As for the economic sanctions imposed
by America on Iraq through the Security Council, they
have led to the death of 1.5 million Iraqis, including
750 thousand children. Iraq had nothing to do with
the September 11 attacks and no connection with Osama
Bin Laden or Al-Qa'eda organization. Iraq did not
kill any Americans and did not threaten America or its
interests. Despite all this, America decided to begin
with Iraq, thinking that it would be an easy target.
We must remember that Israel did not abide by 65 U.N.
decisions, that it owns 400 nuclear weapons, and that
it has been occupying other people's land for the past
35 years. Instead of bombing it as it is doing in
Iraq, America is drowning it with billions of dollars
and the latest weapons. This is not a war on Iraq,
but an aggression against the Arab Nation."

-- "It is ferocious resistance. What to do?"

Daily columnist Sultan Hattab writes on the op-ed page
of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(03/30): "It is time to understand the motives for
Bush's war on Iraq, and it is an illegitimate war that
is not endorsed by the international community. This
dirty and haphazard war, which is primarily targeting
civilians, deserves condemnation and deserves to have
all Arab and international energies recruited to put a
stop to it. This war came after long planning that
started with the second Gulf war. It targeted the
Iraqi people with a siege and with suffering so that
the people would start calling for abandoning their
leadership and their country. Yet, everything that
the U.S. administration has been doing over the past
13 years, of a horrific and killer siege that targeted
civilians, to make the Iraqi people surrender, it did
not work out, as has been tested.. The situation is
very dangerous, and Iraq is not going to give up
without a huge price or before the cards are shuffled.
Iraq is facing an aggression, an armed robbery in
fact, against its resources and its administration.
No one in his right mind can ask Iraq not to resist
and not to defend its dignity and territory."
GNEHM