MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ

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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