Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN2928
2003-05-19 11:47:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND MIDDLE

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002928

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 SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND MIDDLE
EAST

Summary

-- A major story in all papers today, May 19,
highlights the suicide bus bombing that took place in
Jerusalem yesterday, killing seven Israelis. Lead
stories today focus on preparations for the Jordanian
parliamentary election scheduled for June 17. Lead
stories in all papers yesterday, May 18, focuses on
the suicide bombings in Casablanca, Morocco and the
international reaction of condemnation for these
"terrorist" actions.

Editorial Commentary

-- "Who let terror win?"

Centrist, influential among the elite English daily
Jordan Times (05/19) editorializes: "It is extremely
saddening and frustrating to see terrorists succeed
once again, and peace hopes repeatedly dashed because
of terror. But it is also true that terrorists win
when they are allowed to, when there is not enough
political will to show them that they will not succeed
in shaping history on their terms.. We absolutely
condemn the Palestinian suicide bomber who killed
seven people aboard a Jerusalem bus on Sunday. But
this terrorist and his group would not have achieved
their goal had Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon not
put off a trip to Washington for crucial talks with
President George W. Bush on the roadmap.. The
terrorists who blew themselves up . certainly wanted
to derail whatever was left of the peace process. But
Sharon greatly helped them by putting off his peace
talks in the United States.. How convenient for
Sharon yesterday's suicide attacks were. He himself
could not have found a better excuse to once again
avoid facing his responsibilities and the unanimous
will of the international community. Instead, these
Jerusalem bombers handed over to him on a silver plate
the perfect pretext to continue ignoring international
and regional peace efforts."

-- "Events and mysteries"

Daily columnist Rakan Majali writes on the back page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(05/19): "The world embarked on a new era after the
9/11 attacks. It did have something to do with
America wanting to take advantage of this terrorist
crime to launch new strategies and new policies and
implement its plans for the Arab world and the Muslim
world in order to affect its hegemony over the world.
Worse than achieving these objectives by military
force and aggression is this mystery, the sneakiness
and all this mystery that envelops the events that
started with the 9/11 attacks and continues until
today.. Mysteries continue, including the bombings in
Riyadh and Casablanca. The bombings in Saudi occurred
a few days after Saudi's agreement with the United
States to get the latter's troops out of Saudi. The
bombings in Morocco occurred after the successful of
the democratic experience there. We must also note
that these bombings occurred in two big countries, one
in the east and one in the west. The purpose is to
weaken and confuse everyone.. We must therefore ask
this legitimate question: is what is happening in the
Arab world now another form of and just another part
of the war and pressures that aim to weaken and
confuse everyone to pave the way for what the U.S.
Secretary of State spoke of regarding a comprehensive

SIPDIS
change in the region within ten years, or is just pure
coincidence?"

-- "The Arab world between two fires"

Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(05/18): "The fact that Al-Qa'eda moved its war
against the Americans into Arab countries is an
indication of the seriousness of this terrorism that
is sending tens of young Arab people to blow
themselves up in operations that, at the end of the
day, serve only the warmongers within the U.S.
administration and the policies of the Zionist Lobby
that is trying to drag the American nation into a
state of constant battle with the Arabs. The Arab
world is now caught between two fires: the fire of
blind terrorism that wants to turn the domestic scene
of Arab countries into arenas for destruction and
sabotage, and the fire of Bush's war against the
terrorism, the person who does not want to understand
the reasons that serve terrorism and does not want to
resolve the issues, without which terrorism cannot be
eliminated.. The Arab world is destined to pay for
the mistakes and sins of American policies in the form
of blind terrorism destroying the security, stability
and economy of Arab countries. As much as the Bali
bombings destroyed tourism in Indonesia in favor of
tourism in Australia - an ally of the United States
and took part in the Iraq war, the bombings in
Casablanca will destroy tourism in Morocco in favor of
tourism in Spain - one of the allies in the war on
Iraq."
GNEHM