MEDIA REACTION ON DARFUR CRISIS, ISRAEL'S

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006305 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 DARFUR CRISIS, ISRAEL'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND IRAQ Summary -- Lead stories in all papers today, July 26 highlight local and regional issues. Front pages focus on King Abdullah's visit to Korea. Reports also highlight remarks made to the press by Israeli nuclear expert Mordechai Vanunu about the potential dangers to residents (including Jordanians) of the area near the Israeli nuclear reactor at Dimona. Papers carry the Jordanian Government's denial of radiation dangers to Jordanians from the Israeli reactor. Editorial Commentary on Israel's Nuclear Weapons -- "The greatest danger that threatens the region" Daily columnist Mahmoud Rimawi writes on the op-ed page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (07/26): "Mordechai Vanunu is not just an Israeli witness. He is more than that. He is a nuclear expert and he previously worked in the nuclear facilities before he exposed the Hebrew State's nuclear arsenal.. Vanunu says that the nuclear facilities [in Israel] are the greatest danger threatening the Middle East.. The IAEA, and its Director Dr. Barad'i, should give due attention to Vanunu's warnings, and on this occasion not act the way Barad'i did when he visited Tel Aviv last, with his near justification for the Israeli government's ownership of these facilities." -- "Vanunu to the forefront again" Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (07/26): "Vanunu's remarks push the forefront the issue of complaints in the south about the effect of Israel's nuclear reactor on our people in Wadi Araba and the south.. Do we just ignore Vanunu's statements? It is necessary to conduct new and accurate studies about radiations in the region. We have read more than one Israeli report about the aged and insufficient means of isolation and leakage prevention. We do not know what Israel does with nuclear waste. This is because Israel's nuclear activities and its famous nuclear reactor are the only ones that have never undergone international inspection.. The other important thing is to build on Vanunu's remarks in order to stir an international campaign against Israel's rejection of international monitoring.. Why should the Arab countries give in to keeping nuclear facilities and activities outside the realm of inspection and monitoring when they could be directly affected?" Editorial Commentary on Darfur Crisis -- "Please close the Darfur file" Columnist Hussein Rawashdeh writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour (07/26): "I hope that the Sudanese government will quickly close the Darfur file, because this `wound' that has been bleeding for over a year and half gave Washington both the pretext and the timing to internationalize this complex `humanitarian' issue and turn it into a hot political issue that could allow it to go into Sudan in order to finalize plans for `disintegration' that has already started in the south. We have sympathy for the disastrous situation that befell the tens of thousands of civilians in Darfur. We also realize the Sudanese government's negligence in addressing this situation, and we see the lack of an Arab or Islamic initiative that would put an end to the conflict. However, there are other facts that seem more dangerous than this humanitarian aspect that Washington, London and others claim to have pity for, although this `pity' did not appear in many other places that are suffering much more than the Sudanese in Darfur, be it Palestine, Chechnya or other countries where minorities are facing ethnic cleansing, extermination and uprooting. One of these facts is that the process of dividing Sudan has actually been placed on Washington's agenda.. Another fact is the timing of the process to reconsider distribution of the waters of the Nile, wherein an agreement with the rebels of the south would mean that America really has Egypt `by the balls' and is holding on to the focal point of the national security of the biggest Arab country. If we remember reports years ago about an Israeli role in investing in and planning for using the Nile and revitalizing the Sudanese south, and add to that the Falasha immigration, the picture would be complete, where the new Sudan, with its divisions and multiple pressures, would be a base for America, just like Iraq is on the other side." Editorial Commentary on Iraq -- "In defense of the Anglo-American intelligence services" Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (07/26): "The American and British intelligence services are suffering from accusations and extreme criticism for their alleged failure in the so-called information about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the presence of a relationship between Iraq and Al-Qaeda. This information was the basis on which the two countries launched a comprehensive war on Iraq, which was portrayed as a threat to the safety and security of America, Britain and the world. These accusations are unfair. American intelligence services did not mislead U.S. President Bush. They knew the truth just as much as the people did, but the President and his aides in the White House and the Department of Defense did not leave the intelligence services any other choice. They decided to invade Iraq first, then assigned the intelligence services to look for reasons and justifications, and under pressure, these services had to comply.. The same applies to the British intelligence services, known as the best intelligence apparatus in the world. They too responded to political pressure and said that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction can be ready for launch in 45 minutes.. The conclusion of investigative committees in Washington and London is that intelligence services have the professional duty of giving political officials the facts as they are and not tailoring information to comply with their demand for facts suitable for their projects. The investigative committees did not, however, conclude that politicians should not ask intelligence services for tailor-made information and facts in the first place." HALE