MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS AMMAN 009502

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 story in all papers today, November 30,
highlight King Abdullah's meeting with a high-level
Palestinian delegation led by Mahmoud Abbas, during
which the King expressed support for the "Roadmap"
leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Another lead story focuses on Prince Hamzah's reply
letter to the King's letter on Sunday that freed the
Prince from the "constraints of the honorary position
of Crown Prince". In his reply, the Prince honored
the King's command.

Editorial Commentary

-- "Good performance but."

Former Jordanian Minister of Information and columnist
Saleh Qallab writes on the back-page of semi-official,
influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (11/30): "It has been
nineteen days since the death of Yasser Arafat. So
far, one can say that the performance of his
successors has been good and quite impressive.. If
Abu Mazen wants the Israelis, Americans and European
countries to treat him differently from their
treatment of Arafat, he must make sure that not a
single bomb or gun or even a bullet stays outside the
jurisdiction and control of the security forces. The
situation would not handle well the Palestinian
Authority having two faces: one for a peaceful
solution and the other for resistance and force."
HALE