Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN8293
2003-12-18 14:54:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CAPTURE

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008293

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 SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CAPTURE

Summary

-- A lead story in all papers today, December 18,
highlights the fuel truck explosion in Baghdad
yesterday killing a disputed number of Iraqis.
Another lead story talks about the anticipated speech
by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon today, in which he
will reveal the aspects of his "Unilateral Steps"
plan. The lead story in Al-Arab Al-Yawm quotes "a
security source close to the occupation authorities"
in Iraq as saying that Saddam Hussein was handed over
by Mohammad Al-Musalat, a close person to Saddam,
after drugging him and leading the Americans to him.

Editorial Commentary

-- "The Arab tragedy: intellectuals and fighters in
the service of tyranny"

Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/18): "It is not destined upon the Arab world to
remain within the realms of three tragic options,
occupation, tyranny and terrorism. It is shameful
that there is in the Arab world intellectuals and
fighters who support tyranny and tyrants on the
pretext of resisting the occupation, or who support
occupation and usurpation on the pretext of resisting
terrorism and tyranny. The real intellectual and
fighter must not have any leniency with those three
germs that are eating away at the Arab body.. The
fourth option for the Arab world is the option of
freedom, democracy, justice, respect for human
dignity, development and progress. It is the option
that fighters and intellectuals must work for and
never give up on in favor of tyranny, terrorism or
occupation, whatever the pretext.. They are neither
intellectuals nor fighters as long as they support
oppression, tyrants and terrorists just to spite the
United States. They are intellectuals those who
support the occupation on the pretext of combating
terrorism and tyranny. It is a single war and it is a
comprehensive war that must be fought by the Arabs
against occupation, tyranny and terrorism all
together."

-- "Who tries who?"

Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(12/18): "Capturing Saddam alive has put America in a
dilemma. What does it do with him? Should he be
tried domestically by an authority that has no
legitimate authority and has no right to form courts
and issues laws, or internationally and in accordance
with international law?.. If the trial is
internationally-held, the point of contention would be
that the accusing party is the one that should be put
on trial, for it is an aggressor that occupied a
sovereign and independent state that does not exercise
terrorism, does not own weapons of mass destruction
and does not threaten the security of the United
States. How could someone defending the independence
of his country be put on trial, while the one
launching an illegitimate war gets away?"

-- "The Saddam Hussein phenomenon between dream and
reality"

Columnist Raja Talab writes on the op-ed page of semi-
official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (12/18):
"Many Arabs still do not want to believe that it was
Saddam Hussein they saw on TV a few days ago. Those
shocked people do not want to believe what they have
convinced themselves of, namely that Saddam Hussein is
an invincible hero who struck Israel with missiles and
who defied the Americans. Many Arabs do not want to
believe that they have been deceived and they have
been living in illusions.. The phenomenon of Saddam
Hussein grew strong because of the state of defeat and
frustration that the Arabs suffered from since the
nineteen forties.. Those who are living in the
illusion are not willing to believe that the
occupation of Kuwait had nothing to do with the
liberation of Palestine, but rather it was the
illusion of power and arrogance. They were not ready
to understand that a person who kills his people with
chemical weapons, suffocates them and turns Iraq into
a big prison can never be a person who liberates
others, and that a person who brings destruction to
his own country cannot give others freedom, progress
and prosperity.. They do not want to believe because
they do not want to abandon their dreams. The
frustrated Arab mind is still looking for a hero and
when it does not find it, it creates an illusionary
one.. The real Saddam did not do what those people
wanted the dream Saddam to do. Therefore, they
quickly resorted to self-consolation by saying that
the one they saw is his look-alike, or that he was
drugged, or that the Americans used cinema tricks.
The important thing is that they do not wake up from
their mirage and from facing the truth that simply
says a tyrant cannot be a liberator, a professional
killer cannot be human, and tyranny is the power of
the weak."
GNEHM