MEDIA REACTION ON SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO

UNCLAS AMMAN 001309 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 TSOU SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR JO SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON SECRETARY RICE'S VISIT TO REGION, HAMAS, GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR Summary -- Prominent headlines lead front-page reporting in all papers published today, February 22, on the release of the Jordanian hostage who was kidnapped in Iraq two months ago. Another lead story focuses on King Abdullah's meetings with visiting Qatari Foreign Minister and British Interior Affairs Minister to discuss regional developments and the issue of the image of Islam. Editorial Commentary on Secretary Rice's Visit to Region -- "About Rice's tour" Daily columnist Bassem Sakijha writes on the op-ed page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al- Dustour (02/22): "The least that could be said about Condoleezza Rice's tour in the Arab countries is that it is insolent and impertinent. The attempt to rally the official Arab support for starving the Palestinian people and punishing it for exercising democracy can only be received by resentment on the part of the Arab people. Had there been freedom of expression, there would be demonstrations and protests asking the bronze lady to return home. Popular forces in the Arab world should tell Washington that the do not trust the American money and assistance in the first place, because they are conditional and they are provided in return for political gains.. We hope that the Arab and Muslim countries will not succumb to such insolence. After all, this is exactly what pulls the rug of legitimacy from under the feet of regimes, overturns security formulas and promotes extremism and violence." -- "Rice and the reap of the American policy" Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (02/22): "The tour of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the region takes place under the explicit objective of pulling in the ranks against Iran and the Hamas movement.. Since Iran's power has grown as a result of American forces becoming hostages of Iran in Iraq, Rice is in need of an Arab role should the confrontation between Washington and Tehran develop into an armed conflict. Iran's boldness in defying America and the European Union on Iran's nuclear issue is based on America's political mistakes in Iraq, mistakes that did Tehran's strategy a favor even Ayatollah Khomeini never dreamed of.. Moreover, America's allies in the region cannot understand Rice's request of them to besiege and abort the Hamas government. After all, this too is the fruit of American and European pressures to hold elections in Palestine. Had such pressures been exercised on the Sharon government since 2003 to stop his attacks against the Authority's areas and his destruction of its entity and its institutions, the results of the elections would have been different.. All that is going on in the region is the reap of the American policy that has adopted and implemented unilateralism, arrogance, dictations, military force and bias to Sharon and shelved the demands of Arab allies.. What Rice wants these days is to build new alliances that feed the war on Iraq, increase tensions in Palestine, and open a new front with Iran." Editorial Commentary on Global War on Terror -- "The words of Karen Hughes and the actions of her administration" Chief Editor Ayman Safadi comments on the back-page of centrist, independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (02/22) on Karen Hughes's February 20 interview on pan-Arab satellite television channel Al-Jazeera. Safadi says: "The mission of Karen Hughes is to improve the image of the U.S. in the Arab world, a mission that will not be accomplished by defending the positions of the U.S. administration, but by identifying the American mistakes that made millions of Arabs and Muslims convinced that the U.S. is their enemy. The words of Karen Hughes will not mend the damage caused by her administration. These words, pre-prepared by American think-tanks and lobby groups will only consolidate the negative image towards the U.S. For instance, Hughes explained the Palestinian people's vote for Hamas in terms of the Palestinian people's desire to end corruption, and spoke of everything except the principal concern of the Palestinians, which is top end the Israeli occupation. To improve the image of the U.S. in the Arab world Karen Hughes should focus her attention on Washington, because the problem is there." Editorial Commentary on Hamas Role in PA Government -- "Israel punishing Hamas" Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (02/22): "The Israeli government was waiting for the convening of the Palestinian Legislative Council and its decision to assign Hamas with the government's formation in order to declare its punitive measures.. But these punitive measures were of no surprise to anyone, least of all Hamas, and for the simple reason that all such punitive measures were used before against Fatah's government.. Israel says that the Hamas government does not abide by signed agreements. So has Israel abided by them? Is freezing the Authority's money not considered a violation of signed agreements? Most likely, Israel wanted to deal a pre- emptive strike to the agreements reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority out of fear that Hamas would actually abide by them and thus embarrass the Israeli government. The risk of any Israeli, American and European punishments against Hamas lies in the fact that will end up hurting the Palestinian people. The Hamas government will have to look for other financial sources, and since the Arab sources will be hesitant to provide any financial support for fear of angering America, the only other available source will be Iran. Iran wants to find a stepping stone in Gaza, as it did in South Lebanon, and turn Hamas into something like Hizbollah. As for the behavior of Israel and America, they only serve Iran's plan." HALE