Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN6185
2003-09-28 09:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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280940Z Sep 03
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