MEDIA REACTION ON PRESIDENT BUSH IN EUROPE

UNCLAS AMMAN 001504 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 PRESIDENT BUSH IN EUROPE Summary -- Lead story in all papers today, February 23, highlights King Abdullah's visit to Spain as part of a tour of several European countries. Other lead stories highlights President Bush's visit to Europe and developments in the Middle East. The earthquake in Iran also received front-page coverage in today's newspapers. Editorial Commentary -- "Bush's European speech" Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (02/23): "Bush's ideas are good, but his policies are bad. This is what we might conclude from his European speech in Brussels. When you hear him speak about a Palestinian state side by side with Israel, you would think that peace in Palestine is at hand, and yet, what are the mechanisms of achieving that? On Iraq, the U.S. President used descriptions such as `a free Iraq' and `the youngest democracy in the world'. Such words are a good thing coming from a president who has 150 thousand soldiers on Iraqi soil and who controls Baghdad's political and economic decision-making process. Yet, the mechanisms of the American presence are worse than bad. The war is not over although it's been two years since the invasion, and we have no idea why Bush ignores the issue of a deadline for the withdrawal of his troops, although the presence of these troops is the reason for turning Iraq into a arena of confrontation between America and Al-Qaeda, something that contradicts all talk about a free Iraq and a young democracy. Clearly, Bush's mission in Europe this time is different from previous visits and missions. The U.S. President is trying to start a new era of relations with the European partner. He is looking for Europe's partnership in issues related to the Middle East. This turnaround did not come out of nowhere, for the U.S. President reaped nothing but failure in Iraq, as the war still goes on there, in fact prolonging the war on terrorism since terrorists now have an arena called Iraq. Bush has finally abandoned his arrogance and his theories about old Europe and is now trying to appease Chirac and Schroeder. The question is: will he succeed? The answer is no, unless he changes his policies on the ground." HALE