Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN6835
2005-08-24 10:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST

Tags:  KMDR JO 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006835

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, August 24,
continues to highlight developments in ongoing
investigations of the attack on Aqaba. Papers also
continue to highlight issues related to the Iraqi
constitution.

-- "More dangerous than terrorism itself"

Daily columnist and former Minister of Information
Saleh Qallab writes on the back-page of semi-official,
influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (08/24): "The
position adopted by the Islamic Action Front vis--vis
the Aqaba crime, acquitting the terrorists of any
responsibility ... and instead blaming the Americans
and the Jordanian government, suggests that a review
of the position of political Islam organizations and
forces towards terrorist operations in general must be
conducted.... Now that the issue is clear and it has
been proven that the terrorists have actually
slaughtered the image of Islam and distorted it, words
like 'but' have no place, and holding Israel, the
West, the United States, and 'unwise' governments
responsible instead of the real culprit has become as
good as taking part in the crime itself.... It is no
longer acceptable that the position of political Islam
forces be reflected in the portrayal of the crime of
targeting a country as an individualistic crime while,
at the same time, they continue to avoid condemning
terrorism and continue to hold the traditional
enemies, the United States and Israel, responsible.
This is a clear political ploy and it is no longer
possible to make people, like Jordanians, believe in
it."

-- "The withdrawal from Gaza"

Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai
(08/24): It is not yet clear who is the winner and
who is the loser from the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
and the pullout of Jewish settlers. Sharon considers
himself the winner because he achieved the plan that
he talked about and worked on for the past two years.
The Palestinian Authority considers itself the winner
because the withdrawal from Gaza constitutes the
beginning of a movement that cannot be stopped and
will, sooner or later, include the West Bank. Hamas
considers itself the winner because the withdrawal
took place as a result of the Palestinian resistance
and not because of negotiations. America considers
itself the winner and wants to claim responsibility

for this step that paves the way for a peaceful
solution.... What determines whether the Israeli
withdrawal from Gaza constitutes a victory or defeat
for one party or another will depend on what happens
after the withdrawal. If Palestinian internal
fighting over the authority breaks out, then Sharon
would be the winner. But if the Palestinians prove
their worthiness of independence, then it would be a
victory for them. If America exercises more pressure
on Israel leading to more withdrawals and pullouts,
then America would be the winner, and if the
Palestinian Authority fails to control Gaza from the
security and political aspect, then Hamas would be the
winner."

-- "The dividing line"

Chief Editor Ayman Safadi writes on the back-page of
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (08/24): "There is a
difference between justifying these [terrorist] crimes
and the attempt to explain and analyze them, but the
dividing line between justifications and explanations
is very thin, and crossing it constitutes indirect
support for those who kill the innocent in all parts
of the world, Jordan included. It is time to develop
a clear religious, philosophical, political, and
humanitarian stand that condemns Al-Qaeda and its
affiliates and all its actions and ideologies without
attempting to justify them or link their actions with
Arab and Muslim causes. No doubt, policies adopted by
the United States in the region were responsible for
the suffering, the injustice, and the occupation in
more than one Arab country, and no two can argue about
Israel's responsibility for the tension borne from its
illegal occupation of Palestine and other Arab lands.
But Al-Qaeda is not serving legitimate Arab interests
in Palestine, Iraq and elsewhere, and any attempt to
link Al-Qaeda actions with just causes would only
bring harm to these causes and serve the terrorists
who take pride in killing a Jordanian soldier."

-- "The programmed destruction of Iraq"

Daily columnist Rakan Majali writes on the back-page
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour
(08/24): "It is no longer a secret for the Iraqis
that the United States is doing everything it can to
tear Iraq apart while, at the same time, it continues
to hold on to a loose framework of contradictions and
struggles within that create an internal Iraqi formula
that, in the final analysis, makes the breakout of a
civil war in Iraq unavoidable should the American
forces pull out.. Some people believed that the
destruction was related to the military operations
that took place at the time of Iraq's occupation, but
today it becomes clear that this destruction is a
programmed strategy within a hatred-filled military,
political, economic, cultural, and psychological war
designed to destroy Iraq with the aim of controlling
it and making it a model and lesson for others."

-- "Iraq's fires are not an internal issue"

Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm
(08/24): "There is a fire raging in Iraq and it is
continuously growing. It would be a mistake to give
in to the idea that this country is the sole concern
of the United States or the responsibility of the
Green Zone government in Baghdad. What is happening
in this brotherly country constitutes a disengagement
process for the state and the society.. Let us stop
promoting or supporting the so-called political
process in Iraq. This process is not going to lead to
security, stability, or peace. It is just a scenario
on which President Bush and the neo-conservatives are
insisting in order to create a military and political
entity based on sectarian and tribal militias with the
aim of continuing the war on behalf of the Americans..
The Iraqi situation is no longer the sole concern of
Bush and Blair or even Ja'fari. It is a regional
issue and a blazing fire that threatens to consume the
entire region."
HENZEL