MEDIA REACTION: SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN JORDAN

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004601 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - ERIC BARBORIAK DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN JORDAN ¶1. Summary: As major Chinese-language Taipei dailies continued to report November 16 on the upcoming 3-in-1 elections and local scandals, coverage also focused on a Reuters report which quoted the British Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as saying more than 50 birds imported from Taiwan in September died and were found to have been infected with the H5N1 virus. In other news, both the pro-independence "Liberty Times" and Taiwan Daily" carried in their inside pages a latest poll survey released by Taiwan's Defense Ministry, which showed that 47.6 percent of the Taiwan public supports the passage of the U.S. arms procurement deal in the Legislative Yuan while 37.8 percent opposes it. The centrist "China Times" and pro-unification "United Daily News," instead of carrying Western wire service news, are the only newspapers that provided straight news coverage of U.S. President George W. Bush's trip to Asia. ¶2. Former National Security Council Vice Secretary-General Antonio Chiang discussed the recent suicide bombing in Jordon in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily." According to Chiang, if Jordon, like Iraq, also turns out to be a major target of terrorist attacks, no other Middle East countries will be spared from these attacks. End summary. "Suicide Bombers in Jordan" Antonio Chiang, former Vice Secretary-General of the National Security Council, commented in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] (11/16): ". The Jordanian people are in general against the United States, whereas their government is pro-U.S. The recent suicide bombing was thus perhaps a price that the pro-U.S. Jordanian government has to pay. Terrorist activities like this have enraged the [Jordanian] people, who vowed to fight the terrorists. This sort of battle against terrorism happens to coincide with Uncle Sam's anti-terrorist position and therefore creates an awkward situation. "Even though Iraq is still at war now, it is also becoming a special training center for terrorist organizations. Various [terrorist] groups were trained in Iraq and they started to look for targets to attack both inside Iraq and in neighboring areas. Countries that have suffered terrorist attacks gravely, such as Jordon and Egypt, are now facing a tough choice between the fight against terrorism and whether they should take a pro- or anti-U.S. position. . "If Jordon also turns out to be a major target of terrorist attacks, no other Middle East countries will be spared [from the attacks]."' PAAL