MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007003 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 -- A number of October 28-29 commentaries comment on "the day of bombings" in Baghdad, namely the five October 27 attacks in Baghdad one of which was against the Red Cross. The majority of these commentaries strongly criticize such attacks as "criminal" actions, and as attempts to "defame the Iraqi resistance" and as a "violation of human morality". Lead stories today, October 29, focus on Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher's first press conference since the formation of the new Jordanian government, during which he spoke about the King's visit to Kuwait during Ramadan and to the United States in December with a "Palestinian peace plan". Editorial Commentary -- "Iraq: where to? Resistance or open slaughter?" Semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (10/29) editorializes: "There is an urgent need to stop this bloodbath and cycle of violence in Iraq. No one would be able to perform this miracle except the Iraqis themselves, because the crimes that are being committed now are not going to speed up the end of the occupation, rather they are going to give it the justification to stay on under the pretext that Iraq has become the confrontation arena between the forces of good and the forces of terrorism. Iraq's future is decided by its people, and not by a sect, a political party or one group or another. There is no faster way to save Iraq from the current bloodshed than to hurry up and declare the constitution, conduct the elections, and bring forth a national rule that represents everybody." -- "The agenda of terrorism and the agenda of resistance" Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (10/29): "Why did the non-Iraqi intruders divert their military operations from targeting American soldiers and equipment to targeting civilians, the police and Iraqi and humanitarian organizations? When such organizations, the police and Iraqi civilians become targets, it means that the war is no longer against the American occupation, but against every authority, and when they are capable of such horrific operations, then how can anyone call for the 
withdrawal of the American troops! This is exactly what is intended by diverting these operations so brutally to target the people. It is an attempt to stop the transfer of authority and the establishment of a U.N. role. It is a vicious attempt to impose the agenda of the intruders, who flocked to Iraq, being the arena with excellent opportunities - opportunities that must not vanish with America's withdrawal and the establishment of a new democratic Iraqi regime. Rather, this chaos and collapse must be prolonged.. This deviation and those who stand behind it must not enjoy any support from any political forces, particularly the Islamic ones. Statements and declarations of clear condemnation and denunciation must be issued, considering every action that does not exclusively target occupation troops and equipment as a criminal act that harms the resistance and the cause of Iraq and the Iraqis." -- "Occupation, security and freedom in Iraq" Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (10/29): "The problem with these operations that target international organizations in Iraq and Iraqi institutions, victimizing innocent Iraqis and foreigners who have left their homes and their families to help the Iraqi people, lies not only in the fact that it violates all sense of human morality, but also in the fact that, at the end of day, its serves the American objectives and justifications for maintaining the presence of American occupation forces in Iraq.. There is a difference between national resistance aimed at putting an end to the occupation and criminal parties that want chaos and terrorism to prevail in Iraq so that it would become an arena for all outlawed organizations in the Muslim world. If the armed operations were targeted against American forces only, then we would be sure that the departure of these forces would mean Iraqi freedom, security and stability without chaos. But these criminal operations against innocent people and the presence of terrorist organizations turns into a real possibility the American claim, that its withdrawal will lead to chaos for which the Iraqi people pay the price. The Iraqi people need freedom and an independent decision- making process. They need a national Iraqi government that will transfer Iraq and its people into a secure and stable future by investing their natural and human resources and by obtaining the rights that were blocked by the Baathist regime and the American occupation. These legitimate aspirations of the Iraqi people may be different from the ambitions of Arab nationalists and Islamists, who want to turn Iraq into an arena of open Jihad and war against the American forces." -- "A booby-trapped ambulance? What kind of resistance is this!" Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (10/28): "It takes a criminal mind to think about transferring an ambulance, used to help and save the sick and the wounded, into a bomb and source for killing. Such a mind, which planned such a crime against an international organization that serves the Iraqi people and tries to save them from misery, sickness and destruction, cannot be the mind of national resistance. The crimes in Baghdad were designed to defame the Iraqi resistance . and cannot be justified nor accepted under any circumstances. Targeting international organization such as the Red Cross and Iraqi institutions is not nationalistic action. They are real crimes that must be denounced.. Our colleagues who call for all forms of resistance in Iraq are going to be very happy with Monday's attacks, because they mean that the occupation failed and that Iraq is worse off now than in Saddam's days.. I cannot believe that there is anyone who would support the blowing up of a booby-trapped ambulance in front of the Red Cross and the killing of tens of innocent people and supporters of the Iraqi people just to send a political message to George Bush." -- "Powell and what he expected in Iraq" Daily columnist Yaser Za'atreh writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al- Dustour (10/29): "It is not true what U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said about not expecting this much Iraqi resistance, because the American right-wing did not expect any resistance whatsoever.. Today, Bush, Rumsfeld, Powell and Wolfowitz find that Iraq has become a horrific quagmire, although resistance remains quite limited and confined to Arab Sunnis.. What has been happening so far is but a part of what the Iraqis are capable of doing to resist the occupation. Here comes the Holy Month of Ramadan, the month of Jihad and sacrifice, and we are going to see more heroic actions, which confirm the fact that the Islamic resistance being hunted down in Palestine by Bush and Sharon has risen even stronger Iraq." GNEHM