MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001441 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 published today, February 22, highlights the mass demonstration in Beirut yesterday calling for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. Another lead story highlights Israel's release of 500 Palestinian prisoners. Reports on President Bush's European tour, featuring excerpts from his speech in Brussels were carried in all papers today. Editorial Commentary -- "America will not liberate Lebanon!" Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (02/21): "Although the U.S. President promised to liberate all people under oppression in today's world and pledged to support opponents to become the rulers of their countries, the opposition in Lebanon, though cornered, knows that banking on America would surely bring failure. Add to this the fact that the Syrian presence in Lebanon over these past three decades enjoyed an American green light as part of regional political bargaining. `Liberating' Lebanon is not an American priority. What the U.S. administration wants is, firstly, Syria's cooperation in Iraq, and secondly, the elimination of Hizbollah as a military force Southern Lebanon because it bothers Israel. As for Lebanon's freedom, that comes last and is nothing more than a bargaining chip useful to blackmail Syria into giving concessions on the Iraqi issue. Syria, in turn, knows that America lacks effective options to use against Syria given that America is up to its ears in the Iraqi quagmire and does not want another crisis.. Why do we expect solutions to come from America? Why do the Arabs not move to resolve the issue as they did in Ta'if? Hariri's assassination may be a national disaster, and whichever party is responsible for the crime, Syria and the Lebanese regime are going to pay the cost. Why can this cost not be in the form of a new formula devised within the Arab family, stressing Lebanon's stability, safety and sovereignty and Syria's dignity?" -- "Is it not time for our `ready-made molds' to be left to rust?!" Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour ;(02/21): "There are ready-made political molds, to which most of our political parties and political figures resort when commenting about events around us; simple and simplifying formulas that stem from the hypothesis that the world is divided into two camps: all evil in the American-Israeli camp and all goodness in the other camp. This hypothesis came up very clearly during the assassination of Hariri. Since the act was heinous and criminal, who other than Israel would do it to instill sectarianism, weaken the front of steadfastness and destroy the resistance! And because `holy Jihad' in Iraq is the duty of every Muslim man and woman, who other than Israel and America would target mosques, Iraqi women, schools and innocent bystanders! Saddam did not occupy Kuwait except upon the advice of the American Ambassador and even before Kuwait's occupation, the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq was nothing more than discord imported from the `Great Devil', and the third Gulf War was nothing more than pre-set conspiracy! We as a nation do not make mistakes, and if we do, then our mistakes are simple and well intentioned, and our fates have been written on CIA boards and Mossad microchips and we have nothing to do but await our destinies.. I have no idea what kind of side effects this political and mental laziness is going to have on us or how a political life can even develop in our countries when we regurgitate these same words and these same sentences year after year." -- "Hizbollah: the last stand" Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (02/21): "The biggest player in Lebanon now is not Syria but Iran.. The Lebanese regime and Syria have no power on the street except that of Hizbollah, and the power center for this party lies not in Damascus but in Tehran.. Syria's continued presence in Lebanon is determined by Tehran's actions and whether, when the going gets tough, Hizbollah would evolve from a mediator among the Lebanese to a position of loyalty and support for the Lebanese regime its Syrian benefactors. It is too early to tell. Tehran does not see the formation of an alliance with Syria at this stage as serving its strategic interests. Besides, Hizbollah prefers the role of the mediator and the supporter of national dialogue.. Syria will have to wait until the final shape of the next government in Baghdad for a full accounting of Iran's balance sheet in the region. (This) will determine Hizbollah's actual position: maintaining the role of mediator or moving to active support (for the Syrian presence). At that point, Damascus will know what its own decision should be: defending its presence in Lebanon by allying with Hizbollah and Iran, or withdrawing from Lebanon." -- "Who killed Hariri?" Daily columnist Mouafaq Mahadin writes on the op-ed page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (02/21): "The smartest political elimination is one that invests in the chaos, conflicts and vendettas to direct attention away from the real killer and onto other parties that may have had reservations or unfriendly attitudes towards the targeted party. This is what happened with the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri.. There is no possibility for Damascus to stand up to the American-French-Israeli conspiracy, particularly in view of (Hariri's) historic relations with Saudi Arabia and Damascus' need for regional and international support for its presence.. Required to face the American-French-Israeli concoction, Syria needs to tidy up the Lebanese arena and not blow it up. This confirms that Hariri's assassination was a crime cooked in the Israeli kitchen in order to cut off Syria's diplomatic efforts, justify an aggression against it and instigate public opinion against it." HALE