MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ AND THE MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005378

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 MIDDLE EAST

Summary

-- Lead stories in all papers today, August 25, and
over the weekend, focus on the "collapse" of the truce
between the Palestinians and Israel. Front pages of
all papers today highlight the Israeli "assassination"
of four Palestinians in Gaza. Major reports continue
to highlight developments in Iraq. Some papers today
highlight the scheduled visit of members of the Iraqi
governing council to Jordan.

Editorial Commentary on Iraq

-- "The Arab effort towards Iraq"

Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(08/25): "A delegation representing the governing
council of Iraq is arriving today in Jordan as part of
a tour in Arab countries.. To deal with the council
would be part of a more effective involvement of Arabs
in the Iraqi situation, whereas reject it would be
simply one more addition to the Arab performance so
far, which is marked by negativity and passivity.
Arabs must meet and connect with all Iraqi parties
within and without the governing council. This
governing council includes the major political forces
known in Iraq. From now and until legitimate
elections determining who represents the Iraqis take
place, there is no other way but to become involved
and deal with the current forces in power and not
leave the arena free for the Americans. The American
failure, whether it is deliberate or the outcome of
shortsightedness and foolishness on the part of the
right-wing gang in the U.S. administration, must force
the Arabs to move and take action in order to look out
for and protect the effort underway in Iraq to mend
the political system and speed the process of placing
power in the hands of Iraqis.

-- "Unholy alliance becomes more evident"

Daily columnist Raja Talab writes on the op-ed page of
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(08/25): "What the Americans wanted to prove before
the war against the former Iraqi regime is now being
proven after the demise of the Saddam Hussein era.
The relationship that the Americans talked about
between the former regime in Iraq and Al-Qa'eda
organization is clearly beginning to take shape. The
explosion of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad and the
suicide bombing against the U.N. headquarters are
clear indications of practical cooperation between the
remnants of the former regime and the extremist
Islamic organizations brought forth by Al-Qa'eda in
Iraq since the beginning of the relationship between
that organization and Iraqi intelligence in 1996.. It
is quite evident now that the remnants of the former
regime are providing money and ammunition to Al-Qa'eda
and to Ansar Al-Islam, and that these two groups are
undertaking the suicide operations. It also seems
that the target is any party who has some form of
relation to the new situation in Iraq. The Arab and
foreign embassies that are opening their doors in Iraq
are going to be targeted, and so will be the Arab and
international political figures who are visiting Iraq,
in addition, of course, to the allied forces.. These
are unholy alliances, for which only innocent people
and the religion of Islam, in whose name these crimes
are being committed, are paying the price."

-- "The Iraqi resistance: which forces and what
visions?"

Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(08/24): "We are driven by instinct to take the side
of the resistance, any resistance to any foreign
occupation. Yet, we do not take the trouble to ask
about the nature of this resistance and the forces
that are waging it. We do not trouble ourselves to
consider the outcome of that resistance, particularly
when it has to do with the fate of a homeland and
people like Iraq's. We watch the news showing images
of operations launched by the `Iraqi resistance'
against the U.S. occupation. We feel ecstatic,
because these operations target an arrogant occupation
and because they target the United States, for which
three quarters of the Arabs and Muslims have no
affection, since they suffered from its double
standards and more its arrogance and intransigence.
Yet, we shiver at the thought that this resistance
comes from one of two sources: the remnants of the old
regime and its security and intelligence apparatus;
and fundamentalist and extremists forces that are
inspired by the spirit of Taliban and the methods of
Al-Qa'eda.. The attacks against the Jordanian embassy
and the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad presage the
deeper trends of this resistance. Observers believe
that, should the situation in Iraq remain as it is,
alliances and forces would spring from this state of
chaos and insecurity that are remindful of the
alliance of the Taliban and others from the Afghani
experience. We do not know, as of yet, serious and
respectful forces, of political weight, intellect and
social representation (worth supporting),that have
adopted such a military resistance in Iraq."
HALE