JORDAN MEDIA PLAYS UP GOJ DEMARCHE AGAINST THE WAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002035

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO JO IZ
SUBJECT: JORDAN MEDIA PLAYS UP GOJ DEMARCHE AGAINST THE WAR

REF: A. (A) AMMAN 2029


B. (B) AMMAN 1954

Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM FOR REASONS 1.5 (B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: ROUNDING OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S THREE-DAY
EFFORT TO ALIGN ITS PUBLIC STANCE MORE CLOSELY WITH THE
FEELINGS OF AN ANGRY NATION, JORDAN'S STATE-OWNED AND
INFLUENCED MEDIA APRIL 4 PLAYED UP THE PM'S CONVOKING OF THE
AMBASSADOR AS EVIDENCE THAT THE GOJ IS TAKING TANGIBLE AND
MEANINGFUL STEPS TO TRANSLATE INTO ACTION THE PEOPLE'S
OPPOSITION TO THE WAR. DICTATING A COMMON SCRIPT, OFFICIAL
EDITORIALS IN JORDAN'S TOP TWO CIRCULATION ARABIC DAILIES
LINKED THE KING'S APRIL 2 DENUNCIATIONS OF THE WAR IN AN
INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED PETRA NEWS AGENCY AND THE
PM'S MESSAGE TO THE AMBASSADOR AS EXPRESSION AND
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S OPPOSITION TO THE WAR AND
CONCERN OVER THE WELFARE OF IRAQI CIVILIANS. THESE
EDITORIALS ALSO INCLUDE HARSH CRITICISM FOR "THOSE WHO WOULD
CREATE WORTHLESS NOISE" ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON
THE WAR, A DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE PUBLIC CHALLENGE TO THE
KING IN A LETTER SIGNED BY 99 NOTABLE JORDANIANS PUBLISHED
MARCH 31 IN THE JORDANIAN PRESS. FORTUITOUSLY, LOCAL
REPORTING ON TEH EVENT ALSO HIGHLIGHTED AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS
TO THE PRESS EXPRESSING A COMMON CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF
IRAQI CIVILIANS AND A COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN THAT CONCERN
EVEN AS WE PURSUE THE OBJECTIVE OF REMOVING THE BAATHIST
REGIME. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) JORDAN'S ARABIC DAILIES ON APRIL 4 LED WITH REPORTING
ON YESTERDAY'S CONVOKING OF THE AMBASSADOR BY THE PRIME
MINISTER (REF A). IN TEXT PREPARED BY THE GOVERNMENT NEWS
AGENCY, PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE PM SUMMONED THE AMBASSADOR
AND "EXPRESSED TO HIM THE DENUNCIATION OF THE GOVERNMENT AND
PEOPLE OF JORDAN OF THE ESCALATING DESTRUCTION AND KILLING
RESULTING FROM THE INVASION OF IRAQ" AND THAT THE PM "HELD
THE AMERICAN AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN IRAQ." THESE STORIES ALSO CARRIED
REMARKS OF THE AMBASSADOR, DELIVERED TO THE PRESS OUTSIDE THE
PRIME MINISTRY FOLLOWING THE MEETING, EXPRESSING THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT'S SHARED CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF CIVILIANS IN
IRAQ AND ADDING THAT THE COALITION WAS TAKING ALL POSSIBLE
MEASURES TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF THE FIGHTING ON THE
CIVILIAN POPULATION AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO EVEN AS WE
PURSUED THE OBJECTIVE OF REMOVING THE BAATHIST REGIME FROM
POWER. THE AMBASSADOR IS ALSO QUOTED, IN RESPONSE TO A
QUESTION ABOUT THE STATE OF U.S.-JORDANIAN RELATIONS, AS
SAYING THAT U.S.-JORDANIAN RELATIONS REMAIN EXTREMELY CLOSE
ON A VARIETY OF LEVELS, AND THAT WHILE DISAGREEMENTS MAY
OCCUR, THE TWO NATIONS SHARE A COMMON CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE
OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND WILL WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT
THEIR HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ARE MET.


3. (U) EDITORIALS IN JORDAN'S TWO LEADING ARABIC DAILIES (AL
RA'I AND AL DUSTOOR, GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AND INFLUENCED,
RESPECTIVELY) FOCUSED ON THE MEETING AS EVIDENCE THAT THE
GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THE VIEWS OF THE KING IN
OPPOSITION TO THE WAR AS EXPRESSED A DAY EARLIER IN AN
INTERVIEW WITH THE STATE-RUN NEWS AGENCY, PETRA. UNDER THE
TITLE, "JORDAN BETWEEN STANCE AND ACTION", AL DUSTOOR'S APRIL
4 EDITORIAL READS: "TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER THE CLEAR
DENUNCIATION OF THE AMERICAN AND BRITISH INVASION OF IRAQ, AS
EXPRESSED BY HM ABDULLAH THE SECOND, COMES THE SUMMONING BY
THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR, A PRACTICAL
STEP THAT TRANSLATES THE NATIONALIST, PAN-ARAB AND
HUMANITARIAN POSITION OF JORDAN TOWARD BROTHERLY IRAQ, (AND
THIS) DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT AND
THE SENSITIVITY OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE COUNTRY THAT HAS
SET DANGEROUS TERMS FOR ITS RELATIONS WITH OTHER STATES BASED
ON THE PRINCIPLE 'YOU ARE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US.'"
AND LATER, "THE KING'S REMARKS...HAVE SHOWN THE COURAGE OF A
LEADER SPEAKING THE TRUTH...SUMMONING THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO
STRONGLY PROTEST THE KILLING OF IRAQI CIVILIANS...IS, IN
REALITY, THE FIRST POLITICAL MEASURE THAT AN ARAB COUNTRY
DARES TO ADOPT, AND MAY EVEN BE THE FIRST GENUINE STAND
ADOPTED BY A COUNTRY AT THE LEVEL OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY. THIS POSITION IS NOT MERE RHETORIC AIMED AT
AVOIDING ACTUAL DUTIES." GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AL-RA'I
ECHOED THIS LINE IN ITS EDITORIAL, AND ADDED A FEW BARBS FOR
THOSE WHO SIGNED THE "LETTER OF THE 99": "THE PRIME
MINISTER'S SUMMONING OF THE U.S. AMBASSADOR IN AMMAN TO
CONVEY TO HIM THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE'S DENUNCIATION...IS
IN ITSELF A DUAL MESSAGE THAT MUST BE READ CAREFULLY BY ALL
THOSE CONCERNED. THE DENUNCIATION OF THE KILLING OF
CIVILIANS IS MADE DIRECTLY TO THE AMBASSADOR WHOSE COUNTRY IS
INVOLVED IN THE WAR AND WHOSE DUTY IT IS TO PROTECT INNOCENT
CIVILIANS IN LINE WITH GENEVA CONVENTIONS. ON THE OTHER
HAND, IT IS A MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE FILLING THE AIR WITH
NOISE AND MEDIA STATEMENTS THAT HAVE NO VALUE OR WORTH ON THE
GROUND."

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COMMENT
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4. (C) THE GOVERMENT PLAYED OUT THIS THREE-ACT PERFORMANCE IN
ORDER TO ALIGN MORE CLOSELY ITS PUBLIC STANCE WITH THE ANGER
AND DISSATISFACTION OF THE PEOPLE, AND AS A RESPONSE TO THE
LETTER CHALLENGING ITS POSITIONS RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC
EARLIER IN THE WEEK (REF B). WHETHER ALL THIS WILL DO THE
TRICK REMAINS TO BE SEEN. MIXED IN WITH THIS ANGER AND
DISSATISFACTION IS A DEEP SKEPTICISM AMONG JORDANIANS ABOUT
GOVERNMENT DECLARATIONS, PARTICULARLY AS MORE AND MORE
JORDANIANS ARE CONVINCED THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT HAS ASSISTED
THE U.S. IN THE WAR. THE EXERCISE PLAYED OUT OVER THE COURSE
OF THIS WEEK POINTS TO A FUTURE OF CONSIDERABLE CHALLENGE TO
THE GOVERNMENT WHEN THE WAR CONCLUDES AND THE PEOPLE TAKE
STOCK OF THEIR GOVERNMENT'S TRUE ROLE IN IT.

GNEHM