Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN3460
2003-06-11 11:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON THE ROADMAP

Tags:  KMDR JO 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003460

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 THE ROADMAP

Summary

-- Lead story in all papers today, June 10, highlights
the fourth anniversary of King Abdullah's accession to
the throne of the Hashemite Kingdom. Other lead
stories highlight continued confrontations between the
Israelis and the Palestinians, as well as resistance
attacks in Falujah in Iraq, killing three American
soldiers. A number of inside pages in all papers are
dedicated to preparations for the upcoming Jordanian
parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 17.

Editorial Commentary

-- "A calculated resistance move"

Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(06/10): "The joint military operation at the
checkpoint in Gaza sought to confirm the right to
resistance, as Palestinian factions are finalizing
their political confrontation with the government of
Abu Mazen. Yet, this operation does not entail any
political damage to the Palestinians, rather it
indicates the Palestinian factions' understanding of
the difference between a military action that would
disastrously harm the Palestinians under the current
circumstances and a military action that would simply
confirm the legitimate option of resisting the
occupation.. Paralleling the negotiating efforts with
operations against civilians in Israel would be like
someone who picks up a rock and throws it on his own
foot, but striking against the soldiers of the
occupation would be parallel to the negotiations and
could then be linked to the principle of mutual truce
once the Israelis agree to it.. The American
intervention has reached a point that surprised even
Sharon and the ruling regime in Israel. Appointing
Condaleeza Rice to follow up on the Aqaba summit and
the commitments of both parties means that the U.S.
President has placed his own weight behind this issue.
The situation cannot tolerate any mistakes on the
Palestinian part. The latest military operation
remains within the acceptable boundaries, while it
sends the specific message of confirming the right of
resistance as long as Israel's intransigence and
brutality continue to exist."

-- "The Israeli war against the outcome of the Aqaba
summit"

Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(06/10) editorializes: "As soon as there were signs

of a genuine breakthrough for peace following the
Aqaba summit, the extremist right-wing forces in
Israel started escalating its aggressive measures
against the Palestinian people.. Whoever is observing
the Israeli policies and measures after Israel's
reserved acceptance of the roadmap would conclude
without the shadow of a doubt that the Israeli
government, which had unwillingly accepted the
roadmap, is going to do everything in its power to
abort the roadmap. Understanding these issues
dictates that the Palestinian side, authority,
government and opposition, must be quite alert to the
need of pulling in Palestinian ranks, maintaining
their unity and avoiding squabbles."

-- "Bush's modified image"

Columnist Osama Sharif writes on the op-ed page of
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(06/09): "In less than two months, the world saw two
opposite faces for U.S. President George W. Bush: the
first as a man of war and the second as a messenger of
peace.. In a few weeks time, President Bush's image
was modified to meet the needs of his presidential
campaign managers.The important thing is to modify the
image of the President before the eyes of the American
voter, so that his early achievements are not limited
to waging wars and military confrontations."
-- "The roadmap and protecting the sacrifices of the
Palestinian people"

Columnist Hussein Abu Rumman writes on the op-ed page
of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(06/09): "The variety of analyses for the outcome of
the Aqaba summit, and whether it would be successful
in revitalizing the peace process between the
Palestinians and the Israelis leading to the
implementation of the roadmap, largely depends on the
variety of expectations with regards to the honest
intentions and the credibility of declared positions,
particularly on the Israeli and American sides. Yet,
analyzing the Aqaba summit must also be seen from the
viewpoint of the potential that the Palestinian
acceptance of the roadmap provides for rebuilding the
strategy of the Palestinian struggle on the short run.
This viewpoint stems from the general picture that
resulted from militarizing the Palestinian Intifada, a
process that had disastrous outcome not only for the
Palestinian Authority, but also for the Palestinian
society as a whole.. Militarizing the anti-occupation
peaceful resistance and the suicide operations that
targeted civilians in Israel have severely harmed the
image of the peaceful Intifada, and have led to
dubbing the Palestinian struggle with terrorism,
despite acknowledging their right to resist the
occupation with all means possible.. The Palestinians
are required to take advantage of and benefit from the
U.S. President's need to appear as a man of peace
after occupying Iraq, and from the commitments that he
repeatedly declared to help put an end to the
occupation."
GNEHM