MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006185 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 MIDDLE EAST Summary -- Lead stories in all papers today, September 28, continue to highlight developments in Iraq, including the summoning of ten thousand American reserve troops to go to Iraq and the ongoing demonstrations in Europe protesting what is going on in Iraq and Palestine. Another lead story highlights President Bush's summit meeting with his Russian counterpart in the US. Editorial Commentary -- "Those addressed by Bush" Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (09/26): "After President Bush delivered his address before the General Assembly, a number of unofficial commentaries were issued in Arab countries, saying that the U.S. President was addressing the public opinion in his own country. This is an example of how Arab governments, as well as a large portion of the political analysts, ignore the status quo. It is indicative of two things: the absence of transparency and honesty on the part of the Arabs when it comes to evaluating the Bush administration's policy towards the Arab region; and the handling of whatever is issued by the U.S. President and his people as material for domestic American consumption only. [Arab] governments do not serve their own political objectives by establishing close relations with the U.S. administration, because of the rising conviction among the Arab public that these governments do not have relations based on equality with Washington, but succumb to American dictates that are not logical or acceptable and that conflict with the national interests of more than one Arab country. At the same time, the enmity of Arabs for America is increasing, while America seems to be in a state of war with Islam and with the Arabs, and not only with terrorism as it claims.. If the U.S. President is fighting today to stop the deterioration of his popularity among his own people, it should not be done at the expense of the Arab people." -- "After the quadrilateral committee's statement" Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (09/28): "The quadrilateral committee blamed the Palestinians for the obstruction that befell the peace process, and asked them to stop the `violence and terrorism' against the Israelis, as much as it asked the Israelis to stop their settlement activities and abide by the roadmap. The quadrilateral committee avoided adopting `any serious measures' and settled for initiating calls and demands on parties to abide by the requirements of the roadmap. No two people can argue the fact that the quadrilateral committee's statement is not balanced at all. By placing the victim and victimizer on equal footing, the statement has acquitted the victimizer and indicted the victim. Yet, political discourse must go beyond the moral evaluation to what is more political and practical. Hence, we review the following points. The Palestinians do share some of the responsibility for the deterioration of their image and that of their cause in the international arena. This however does not relieve the Arabs of their own responsibilities, nor does it nullify the theories of `double standards' and `blind bias', and it definitely does not drop the `clash of civilizations' aspects and President Bush's electioneering from the calculations.. It is time for all the Palestinians to understand, particularly now as we mark the end of the third year of the ongoing Intifada, that the point of a military action is in the outcome. The outcome of three years of struggle does not live up to the level of loss, sacrifice and suffering. The Palestinian cause is in reverse and the Palestinian forces are losing power on the regional and international levels. It is time to conduct a comprehensive review of strategy. Furthermore, only Palestinians can scratch their own back, and nothing can change their cause until they change themselves. The Palestinian experience has shown that the outcome of the cause was never conclusive, and the Palestinians could have ended up in a much better shape than they are today." -- "Self defense" Daily columnist Basem Sakijha writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (09/28): "The quadrilateral committee is supposed to represent the entire world . but in reality, this committee is now representing only the Israeli viewpoint. It is putting forth an unprecedented bias by internationally influential parties in favor of the Sharonic viewpoint, which is based on the unprecedented American support. Thus the Israeli occupation, the repeated incursions, the assassinations, the demolitions, and all forms of aggression have become self-defense tactics against Palestinian terrorism. Injustice has been dressed as justice and fairness, the victim has become the victimizer, and the murdered has become the murderer. The quadrilateral committee's statement is serious and legitimizes the Israeli aggression, giving the green light for the Israeli gun to shoot whenever at whatever. Furthermore, it allows Sharon to execute a plan that could lead to the expulsion of Palestinian leadership figures and total reoccupation. It is serious too because it reflects the viewpoint of those parties tasked with supervising the roadmap." GNEHM