MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004590 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 Summary -- Lead stories in all papers today, July 24, carry reports about the U.S. Department of Defense's confirmation of the death of Uday and Qusay, Saddam Hussein's sons. Major editorial commentaries characterized the deaths as "killings" by U.S. forces and offered praise for the resistance of the two sons, irrespective of their acknowledged horrible treatment of their fellow Iraqis when in power. Editorial Commentary -- "Reconciliation not blood" Centrist, influential among the elite English daily Jordan Times (07/24) editorializes: "The killing of Saddam Hussein's two sons Uday and Qusay at the hands of U.S. soldiers might be an important development, but it certainly is nothing to brag about. True, the two Iraqis were on the `most wanted list' and their elimination may have brought the United States closer to its declared objective of canceling any remnants of the former Baath regime, but ending their lives will not, by itself, restore law and order to Iraq. Besides, summary executions and political killings represent the way and style of governance of the old Iraqi regime and must not be the hallmark of the new Iraqi order. Saddam's sons should have been brought to justice for their terrible record of violence, atrocities and repression against their people. Arresting them would have served the interests of Iraq much more than taking away their lives.. Uday and Qusay's killing will not change the picture unless the more basic issues and challenges are dealt with appropriately." -- "The killing of the President's sons" Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (07/24): "I thought it was completely inappropriate for official statements to be issued from capitals such as Washington, London and Tehran expressing `reassurance' at the news of killing the sons of the former Iraqi President. Every killing incident is a painful and tragic incident and must not be, officially, expressed in terms of reassurance. I can understand that thousands of Iraqis wished to have the most horrible act of vengeance against Uday for instance because of his actions, but states apprehend people to achieve justice and do not rejoice at killings.. The killing of the President's sons and grandson is received with a mixture of vague and contradictory feelings.. In a regime of tyranny where one official kisses up to those above and terrorizes those below him, it is difficult to anticipate how these people will behave at the end. There are those who, when in their position of power and authority, are brutal and murderous, but turn into cowards and scoundrels when their own life is at stake. This is what happened to the tens of leaders in Iraq, but it is quite different with the President and his sons. We have no idea what Saddam's end will be like, but we do know that his sons were not finished off in a scene of pity and contempt. They did not allow themselves to be humiliated, like running out of Iraq, getting caught and handcuffed by the coalition forces, or even surrendering.. It is a tragic existence. We reiterate our rejection of this type of character in the ruling position [harsh and brutal], but we take off our hats and bow in silence when a person who is a fighter dies without bargaining or humiliation." -- "When the President falls" Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (07/24): "The end of Uday and Qusay is in line with their personal nature and their position in authority. They fought the American occupation forces courageously and did not surrender as others who have shared Saddam's power for 34 years did. And if there is a link between them and resistance operations, then the way they were killed will make them martyrs in the eyes of their followers from the resistance.. The phenomenon of the flourishing hypocrisy among Saddam's supporters that followed his downfall stresses not only that the dictatorship is corrupt, but also that it is capable of creating an army of hypocrites who would abandon the leader the minute he falls and would set on the humiliating path of changing allegiances and trying to win the new masters. It is a valuable lesson from third world countries that have had enough of torture and humiliation from dictatorships and the absence of democracy. It is also a valuable lesson for the dictator who finishes off his countrymen, excludes them from authority and marginalizes the people, and then when the tables are turned, there is no one around him." -- "Why assassinate and not put on trial?" Columnist Ibrahim Absi writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (07/24): "The assassination of Uday and Qusay at the hands of the American forces raises a number of questions about the American reasons for killing them and eliminating them so quickly and so dramatically.. Was assassinating and killing them in an unequal battle an American requirement to add more mystery and sensationalism to the American game in Iraq or the American crime in Iraq?.. The most sensational objective of all in killing the Iraqi President's sons is the U.S. administration's desire to achieve a media victory for the sake of American public opinion. HALE