Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN2844
2003-05-15 12:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON RIYADH BOMBINGS, PEACE

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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151206Z May 03
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002844

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 RIYADH BOMBINGS, PEACE
PROCESS


Summary

-- Lead story in all papers today, May 15, focuses on
the aftermath of the suicide attacks in Riyadh.
Another lead story today focuses on Israeli attacks
killing 5 Palestinians and demolishing over 25
Palestinian homes. On Iraq-related issues, only Al-
Rai Arabic and the Jordan Times English dailies
carried lead stories about the discovery of mass
graves with thousands of bodies in Iraq.

-- Coverage of Secretary Powell's visit to Jordan in
yesterday's papers, May 14, was overshadowed by
reports of the bombings in Riyadh. The signing of the
$700 million cash transfer between the Secretary and
Foreign Minister Muasher in Amman received good
coverage.

Editorial Commentary

-- "The terrorism debate"

Center-left, influential among the elite English daily
Jordan Times (05/15) editorializes: "Terrorism is
obviously nurtured by frustration and desperation. It
takes political, economic and cultural work to
eradicate it. The `cultural cure' is up to all of us,
and it mainly hinges on countering the notion that
violence can be used for the achievement of political
goals. It is also necessary to foster a healthy
dialogue on Islam and its values, with a view to
emphasize and bring to everyone's attention - Muslims
and others - that Islam is first and foremost about
the sanctity of life. Politically, as it has been
repeated almost ad nauseam, and as it should be
increasingly obvious, the core problem of the Middle
East - the Palestinian question - needs to be
adequately addressed. The United States went after
the Taleban and Osama Ben Laden in Afghanistan. But
terrorism has not stopped. The United States went
after Saddam Hussein in Iraq. But terrorism has not
stopped. Before another war is started, perhaps it
would be worth to see to a fair and final solution of
the Arab-Israeli conflict."

-- "Operations that serve the continued foreign
presence?"

Daily columnist Sultan Hattab writes on the op-ed page
of semi-official, Arabic daily Al-Rai (05/15): "These
operations [Riyadh bombings] might be, just as others
were in the past, a tool for the foreigner to seal his
control, impose his conditions, and effect the change
that he wants. What was attacked in reality involved

Arab security, Arab interests and the Arab image,
before targeting a group of Americans. The
requirements of achieving a peaceful political
settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have
Israel cornered, and its rejection of the roadmap has
been exposed. The Riyadh terrorist operations
happened to rescue Israeli and get it out of the
dilemma by turning the spotlights away from it and
relieving it from the demands of international
pressures. Now, there is new rising terrorism that
must be dealt with and fought off, because it is a
terrorism that hurts Americans.. Those who
perpetrated the bombings in Riyadh have saved the
enemies of the Arab cause, justified the foreign
intervention and the U.S. war against the region."

-- "Saudi Arabia in the storm"

Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(05/15): "Describing the bombings in Saudi Arabia as
a terrorist action is not enough, because they are
utter lunacy.. Political terrorism as a means to an
end is known throughout the history of political
movements. Yet, mass suicides in a residential
complex go beyond the phenomenon of political
terrorism. It is a mental disorder."

-- "Killing off the roadmap"

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(05/15) editorializes: "By stating clearly and
frankly that no one exercised any pressure on his
government to accept the roadmap, Israeli Prime
Minister Sharon divulges a very important part of the
Collin Powel's talks in Israel and puts an end to the
illusion that some members of the U.S. administration
promoted regarding Washington's seriousness and
readiness to exercise pressure on the Palestinian and
Israeli parties to accept and to implement the
roadmap. Clearly, American pressures have one side
and one direction and they have targeted the
Palestinian party and held it responsible for the
criminal actions of the victimizer, while the forces
of aggression and occupation continued to receive
understanding and sympathy.. The situation of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict is nearing a state of
endless vicious circle. Israel continues its war of
siege and extermination for the third year running..
More seriously, the United States, the superpower and
the only country capable of twisting the Hebrew
State's arm, refuses to do that, rather intentionally
directs its pressures towards the Palestinians and the
Arab. The situation being what it is, Arab and
international efforts must be directed towards
Washington, which has pledged support for the peace
process, but in reality is working to impede this
process with its blind bias in favor of the Hebrew
State."

-- "Riyadh bombings and the formula of terrorism and
bias"

Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(05/15): "There are two major facts that must be said
before writing about the bombings in Riyadh. The
first fact is that any act of violence that targets
civilians of any nationality is a terrorist act that
is rejected and condemned. The second fact is that
the sole reason for these terrorist operations and
actions in general is the U.S. policy in the Arab
world. Thus we write that we condemn terrorist
actions, that we condemn the killing of innocent
civilians, and that we denounce American policies, and
we are not ashamed to say that. It is hard to shed
tears at the American victims . because we have seen
thousands of civilians die in Iraq by American weapons
and have not seen the Americans overly sensitive or
emotional. Washington must understand that its
aggressive policies, its occupation of Iraq, its
complete bias in favor of Israel's crimes, its desire
to control the Arab world will not be welcomed with
the applause and ululations of the millions of people.
In fact there are those who are so angry and furious
with the American policies that they are willing to
confront it with violence." GNEHM