MEDIA REACTION ON SECSTATE VISIT TO THE REGION

UNCLAS AMMAN 007628

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 SECSTATE VISIT TO THE REGION

Editorial Commentary

-- "Jordan's interests before Rice's priorities"

Columnist Fahd Khitan writes on the inside page of independent,
mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (10/04): "Rice who is
touring the region is carrying an agenda that is different at least
in terms of the priorities of Washington's interests. She wants the
'moderates axis' with whom she met in Cairo to line up behind the
Bush administration in the fight against extremism and forces of
extremism in the region. More clearly, Rice wants Jordan, Egypt and
the Gulf countries to stand in the face of Hamas and Hizbollah and
Syria and Iran in order to pave the way for the conclusive
confrontation with Tehran. To do this, Dr. Rice has not problem
dispensing to the Arabs a few courtesy remarks about the Palestinian
issue and reminding them of Bush's two-state initiative. The
calculations and interests of countries considered of the alliance
of moderates are different. For Jordan, it will be disastrous if it
accepts such a policy or even get involved in its implementation,
because it will be the first victim.... The results of Rice's tour
in the region can be assessed now, but what is certain is that the
alliances of moderates, which has been tricked by Washington so
often, seems to be unwilling to take part in a new American
adventure in the region on the pretext of fighting extremism before
some understanding is reached on the Palestinian issue. This is
because the moderate regimes have paid a heavy price out of their
own popularity and credibility when it did agree to go along with
Washington's destructive policy all these past years. Any Arab
regime that is in the least concerned about its future and not
necessarily the interests of its people will not run the risk of
following a mad administration that wants to start a nuclear war in
the region. Jordan is required now to determine its options clearly
and not to be dragged into Israeli and American schemes designed to
bring the downfall of the Hamas government or besiege Syria and
Hizbollah or participate in the anti-Iran issue. This is because
all these parties are genuine opposition forces whose role and
position must be utilized to snatch the required concessions from
Israel."

-- "Rice's priorities"

Chief Editor Ayman Safadi writes on the back-page of centrist,
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (10/04): "U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was mistaken to make the Iranian nuclear file the
main topic of her current visit to the region. The danger that Iran
will constitute to the Middle East if it develops a nuclear weapons
cannot be denied ... but the more serious danger that the region
needs to remove is the continuation of the Israeli occupation of
Arab lands and its subsequent oppression and injustice. The United
States agrees with the moderate Arab countries that the continuation
of the states quo and its resulting deformities that threaten the
security of the region is impossible. However, this diagnosis has
not been translated into a consensus on the priorities. Jordan,
Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have been arguing about the need to focus on
the Palestinian issue as being a requirement and a point of entry
for addressing all points of tension in the region.... But America,
as it does, insists on imposing its own priorities and does not pay
due attention to the stances of its friends in the region.... It
seems that Rice will leave the region without having launched any
new efforts to revitalize the peace process. The only outcome of
the Secretary of State's visit will be to weaken even more the
forces of moderation."

-- "Rice's mission: the climate of failure"

Chief Editor Taher Odwan writes on the back-page of independent,
mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (10/03): "Condoleezza
Rice's mission seeks to accomplish two things from its tour in the
region. The first is revitalizing the Palestinian-Israeli peace
process, and the second is confronting Iran with Arab (Sunni)
support.... Rice can succeed in revitalizing the peace process if,
for instance, she showed concrete support for President Mahmoud
Abbas, like ending the Israeli siege, opening the crossing points,
or releasing a few thousand prisoners from Israeli jails. But Rice
is not going to do any of that.... The other expected failure for
Rice's visit is related to the confrontation with Iran.... Neither
Jordan, nor Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are going
to be dragged into a confrontation with Iran for America's sake and
for the sake of Israel's security. There is sufficient awareness
and understanding that the confrontation between Tehran and
Washington is based in essence on a struggle of roles and fulfilling
their interests at the expense of the Arabs. It is in the national
interest of the Arabs to stand against any region or international
conflict that targets their land, security and wealth.... Rice is
going to fail in building an Arab alliance that would support it
against Iran because it is not the Arabs' responsibility to resolve
America's problems and get it out of its crisis in Iraq. On the
contrary, their responsibility is to put an end to the destructive
American policy in the Middle East that has brought nothing but
wars, sieges and instigation of sectarianism."
HALE