MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ AND THE PALESTINIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002394

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 IRAQ AND THE PALESTINIAN
ISSUE


Summary

-- Lead stories in all papers today, April 21,
continue to talk about developments in Iraq, focusing
on the arrival of Jay Garner in Baghdad, the capture
of Saddam Hussein's brother-in-law, and a report based
on an earlier New York Times story that the U.S.
intends to establish "four permanent military n bases"
in Iraq. Lead stories also focus on a "massacre" by
Israeli forces in Rafah, killing five Palestinians and
injuring over 80. Reports also highlight continued
problems with the establishment of a Palestinian
cabinet. On Syria, reports highlight President Bush's
remarks that Syria "got the message and will
cooperate".

Editorial Commentary on the Palestinian Issue

-- "Must not fail"

Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(04/21): "Mahmoud Abbas's failure to form a
Palestinian government is a political disaster, the
responsibility for which we do not believe the
concerned parties will be able to bear.. Whatever
happens, the cabinet must be formed. In reality, Abu
Mazen was heading towards total failure had it not
been for a few people who understood the outcome of
the war on Iraq. Arafat could therefore not put an
end to this project, knowing that it is an
international demand for proceeding with the roadmap.
Sharon committed yesterday another massacre . and he
would find no better gift than this Palestinian
political failure for him to continue his barbaric
actions."

Editorial Commentary on Iraq

-- "Let the Iraqis be"

Daily columnist Musa Hawamdeh writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(04/21): "Not once did we stop to think about the
Iraqi people. Not once did we listen to the Iraqis
who, for twenty-five years, suffered through one
crisis after another. We want them to sacrifice and
to be heroes with swords ablaze in every direction in
defense of the Eastern Gate, the Southern Gate, the
Turkish border, the Western border and so on. We did
not stop once to listen to their feelings, their
opinions, their position, their life, and the hell
they were going through.. The Iraqis could have lived
free in their country, contributing to the progress
and future of the Arab world, developing their
country, and supporting even the Palestinian cause.
But the Iraqis were broken down, psychologically,
socially and economically. We want them to destroy
America and to squash the occupation armies, when they
themselves are squashed, destroyed, oppressed, and
helpless."

-- "Iraqi's unity is in danger"

Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(04/21): "The massive rise of the Shiites in southern
Iraq shows one of the characteristics of post-Saddam
Iraq. If people want to see this rise as religious
liberation, then fine. However, the political aspect,
in this particular moment of history that Iraq is
going through, is the motive and the engine behind the
rise of the Iraqi masses of the Shiite faith.. What
is going on is not haphazard. It is taking place
under the umbrella of a complete American-British
occupation of Iraq.. It all boils down in two
directions. The first is the destruction of
centralization, and the second is the destruction of
Iraq's cultural, national and religious infrastructure
in favor of ethnic and sectarian loyalties."
-- "Iran and Syria after Iraq"

Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(04/21): "After the stunning American war on Iraq, no
country is likely to defy America to the point that
America would have to launch a war against it. This
was one of the indirect objectives of the American war
on Iraq. True, the beating was in Baghdad, but the
echoes were meant for Tehran, Damascus, Beijing and
Moscow. This war was as good as a declaration of the
rise of the American empire in the new century. It
may even be the last war, because making threats would
be sufficient now to achieve America's objectives.
America will not need to launch war on Iran or Syria,
neither would it need to change the regime in either
of them. What America wants is to change the policy
of these two countries. America will ask Syria and
Iran to abandon their armament programs, to withdraw
from Lebanon, to eliminate Hisbollah, to recognize
Israel, to establish complete peace with Israel, and
not to harass the American occupation of Iraq in any
way.. It is the domino effect. It started with Iraq.
Many countries and forces were beaten the day that
Iraq was defeated."
GNEHM