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