MEDIA REACTION ON THE GENEVA DOCUMENT, MIDDLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007887 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 THE GENEVA DOCUMENT, MIDDLE EAST AND IRAQ Summary -- The lead story in all papers today, December 4, focuses on King Abdullah's expected summit meeting with President Bush today in Washington, D.C. Other stories and some commentaries continue to highlight the aftermath to the Palestinian-Israeli Geneva Document, including Secretary of State Powell's decision to meet with the makers of the Document. Editorial Commentary on the Middle East -- "Meetings remain futile unless the Americans alter their stance" Former Minister of Information and current Member of the Upper House of Parliament Saleh Qallab writes on the back page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (12/04): "From Geneva to London to Madrid to Amman, the peace process rises up from a long sleep interrupted by horrible nightmares and much bloodshed. The Americans, during the past three years, have taken the side of Sharon's policy, as a conspirator would, and left the violence to take its toll on the holy land, continuing to try to impose the Israeli will, the will of the right-wing, on the Palestinian people, and holding the leadership of that people responsible for the collapse of the peace process.. If the Americans really want the peace process to restart, they must exercise genuine pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister.. All these meetings and conference will remain mere jumps in the air unless the Americans decide to turn to Sharon and make him understand that there are requirements that Israel will have to fulfill in order for the talk about establishing peace to become viable.. What is the use of these conferences, initiatives and meetings if Sharon continues to insist on building the racist separation wall, if Israel does not abandon its settlement policy, and if assassinations do not stop.? The Americans continue to wonder about the reasons and causes for all this fundamentalist-violence that is striking the region and the world in the name of Islam. But they also continue to close their ears and shut their eyes to the facts that are before them, namely that the roots of this violence stem from Israel's occupation of the Arab lands and Muslim holy sites, and from the U.S. adoption of the most extremist and right-wing of Israeli policies. The Americans must realize that matters will move from bad to worse if Israel continues to behave as it is doing, and if the United States continues to run around in the same old vicious circle of adopting Sharon's destructive Likud stands and policies." -- "Our misery in Geneva" Daily columnist Basem Sakijha writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (12/04): "Neither Yaser Abed Rabbo nor any other Palestinian official or non-official has the right to give the right of any single Palestinian to Palestine.. A ceremony in Geneva, during which poems for the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish are recited and Israeli and Palestinian girls dance, can never be the concluding chapter in the long historical march of injustice and darkness. We are not talking about a movie where the turn of events is decided according to the viewpoint of a director. We are talking about a long history of bloodshed and destruction, about a land that was and still is occupied, and about a people who were and still are homeless.. How can a Palestinian wipe away the history of his people with a mere pen or with a black signature on forgiveness papers for the killer." Editorial Commentary on Iraq -- "Freedom Bush-style" Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (12/04): "The problem with the ideological aspect of Bush's war on terrorism is that the right-wing American administration launches great big mottos, such as freedom and democracy, but exercises the complete opposite on the ground. The people of this region watch the actual actions of the Americans, raising question marks about the content of the freedom and the democracy that they are suggesting.. What is happening in Iraq is a new religion that suits the imperialistic view of the cradle of civilizations and religions. It is a brainwashing process for the human mind in order to bring about blessing for the occupation and for the destructions and killings done in the name of freedom. As for resistance operations, they are described as terrorist, criminal and bestial! Every time a killing happens against troops that are supporting the American army in the occupation of Iraq, we hear capital like Tokyo, Madrid, Rome and Seoul saying `we will not succumb to terrorism and we will support our presence in Iraq'. So `occupation' has become an ethical mission worthy of pride and support, which suggests that we, as people of Third World countries, will have to glorify freedom Bush- style. In reality, we, as Arabs, are experiencing a foreign military, political and cultural invasion. We must combat it by glorifying the resistance. We must bravely stand up to the campaign of terror and misleading that wants to crush our minds and our spirits as human beings." HALE