MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 010231

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

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

Summary

-- Lead stories in all papers today, December 29,
focus on developments in the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict and continued violence in Iraq. Reports on
the aftermath of the "apocalyptic" earthquake in Asia
dominate international news pages in all papers.

Editorial Commentary

-- "Al-Hurra is not free [hurra]"

Columnist Yaqoub Jaber writes on the op-ed page of
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/29): "In vain, the United States tried to win the
hearts of Arabs and Muslims in favor of its clumsy
policies in the Middle East. The United States
resorted to methods that can in the least be described
as nave and silly. It does so seemingly unaware that
what is hurting its image most in the Arab region is
the Palestinian and Iraqi blood on its hands, its
insistence on supporting Sharon in his bloody crimes
in the Palestinian Territories, and its continuing
occupation of Iraq and the slaughter of its people in
cold blood and on a daily basis.. In its attempts to
change its ugly image in the Arab world, the United
States launched a satellite television channel and
called it, falsely, Al-Hurra [the free], thinking that
this channel would bring the Arabs around with regard
to American policy.. One of the programs broadcast by
Al-Hurra is called `Sa'ah Hurra' [free hour] that
hosts various groups of begrudging writers and
analysts and, for the sake of camouflage, inserts an
Arab personality known for opposition to U.S.
policies. It happened that I watched an episode of
this program on the Syrian role in Lebanon. I noticed
that the host was giving ample time for the guests
opposed to Syrian policy, while the guest who opposes
U.S. policy was cut off as soon as he began to speak,
particularly when addressing a sensitive issue likely
to expose the fragility of U.S. policy or the grave
mistakes made under false slogans in Iraq and
Palestine."

-- "The London conference and a little bit of required
hope"

Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(12/29): "Like other political initiatives that broke
on the rock of Israeli intransigence and U.S. bias,
the image of the initiative launched lately by the
British Prime Minister dwindles.. from being an
international conference for peace in the Middle East,
Blair's initiative turned into a conference to discuss
the Palestinian Authority's reform and restructuring.
From being a conference designed to pave the way for
resuming the negotiations to salvage Bush's vision and
the roadmap, it turned into a conference from which
Israeli will be absent so that it would not give the
impression that the negotiations have started. The
result is that Blair's idea for an international
conference has been enfeebled and so did his
`historic' mission in the region. He became like any
other international envoy, coming and going and
carrying the very same merchandise. Blair's mission
may conclude next March with an eased feeling of guilt
towards the Palestinians, but it will fail to
encourage Arab and Palestinian belief that regaining
stolen rights is imminent or that peace is at hand."

-- "The American peace delegation"

Columnist Haidar Rashid writes on the op-ed page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(12/29): "The number of the American delegation from
the `families for peace' organization is not large
compared to the millions of the American people, but
this limited number constitutes an important and
serious case: five of its fourteen members had lost
sons in Iraq. The humble amount brought by the
delegation in the form of humanitarian equipment does
not exceed 600,000 dollars, which does not even come
close to the billions being spent by the United States
on the war or that will be stolen from Iraq as a
result of the occupation. Yet, this amount
constitutes a significant case in relation to what is
going on in Iraq, to the U.S. administration and the
American people's position towards it and its role in
Iraq. The small American delegation holds U.S.
President Bush and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld
responsible for the death of the American soldiers in
Iraq. This is the most significant indication of the
delegation's visit.. The American peace delegation is
a phenomenon not to be belittled or doubted. It
reflects a genuine tendency among the American people
that has not materialized yet in the form of pressure
that would lead to America's withdrawal from Iraq.
The American dead in Iraq will be one of the most
important factors leading to the materialization of
such a pressuring position."
HALE