JORDANIAN MEDIA JOIN BANDWAGON HAILING SHOE THROWER

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003327 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP/GNEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: JO KPAO KMDR KWBG SUBJECT: JORDANIAN MEDIA JOIN BANDWAGON HAILING SHOE THROWER ¶1. SUMMARY: Jordan's media over the past two days have focused, like their counterparts in other Arab countries, on the shoe throwing incident against President Bush in Iraq. Daily newspapers carried front-page coverage of the incident, with an enormous number of editorial commentary, cartoons, and letters to the editor, as well as photos of the incident. In general, commentary on the incident was gleeful and laudatory of the Iraqi reporter's "daring" act that "summed up" what the writers said were the angry feelings of Iraqis and Arabs regarding the US policy. Only one commentary in the official government daily Al-Rai Arabic echoed President Bush's remark that the incident was an "output" of democracy in Iraq. Jordan's online news websites were similarly overtaken by the incident. All these news websites featured a link to the video feed of the incident. On the other hand, government-run Jordan Television addressed the incident conservatively, sparingly featuring brief footage of the incident and focusing on President Bush's reaction. END SUMMARY. ¶2. REPRESENTATIVE EDITORIAL COMMENTARY - "Shoes" Daily columnist Oraib Rantawi opines on the op-ed page of the center-left, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily Ad-Dustour (12/16): "The United States, represented by its president, has shown without the shadow of doubt that it is completely isolated from the region. It knows so little about its culture, history, sensitivities and priorities. We, on the other hand, demonstrated in the 'shoe incident' a need for victory, any victory, even one at the level of throwing a shoe or shouting a swear word." - "The shoes of Muntather Al-Zeidi" Chief Editor Taher Odwan opines on the back page of the independent, opposition Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (12/16): "Bush considered the incident as one of his 'democratic achievements' in Iraq. So why imprison Al-Zeidi if the Green Zone government is one of those achievements? Moreover, the Iraqi and American authorities have no right to arrest Muntather Al-Zeidi and penalize him when no American or Iraqi official has been arrested in a country where more than 300 reporters have been killed since the invasion. The shoes of Muntather Al-Zeidi are a more civilized expression of protest against a president who used force and violence against an entire country and who created a situation where reporters are kidnapped and killed in the middle of the day." - "The one who has carved his name in history" Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of the independent, centrist Arabic daily Al-Ghad (12/16): "The Americans must not feel humiliated about what happened with their president, but they should understand the opinion of the people in this region about the president who they themselves said the final word to in the presidential elections.... With this move, the young journalist, Muntather Al-Zeidi, has efficiently carved his name in history. The end of Bush's era will always be remembered by this super symbolic scene." - "With shoes!" Daily columnist Basem Sakijha articulates on the op-ed page of the center-left, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily Ad-Dustour (12/16): "Arab and Muslim citizens have probably not felt for a long time such joy at something as they have about this scene that was repeated on televisions and memorized by hearts and minds: the president who broke their hearts, destroyed their homes and displaced their folk is ducking to protect himself from a pair of shoes that came hurtling towards him from the hand of an Arab journalist who wanted to record in history a stand that wipes away a stereotypical image often repeated by the western media. The western media claimed that Iraqis had received the American army with roses and sprinkles of rice. But now, no one can say that the Iraqis have bid goodbye to George Bush with roses, but with a pair of shoes." - "Bush and the shoe story" Columnist Jihad Al-Momani comments on the op-ed page of the semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (12/16): "Bush had to endure some of the concoctions of the new democracy [in Iraq] by having to smile and joke after an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at him but missed. For some reason, I find myself in agreement with President Bush in that what happened is completely new and even rare in a country like Iraq and that it is one of the outputs of democracy that must be respected. Had something like this happened in the era of any other Iraqi president, reporters would not have been able to go to press conferences with their shoes on ever, and press conferences might even have been cancelled altogether or all the journalists might have been executed, which is the expected penalty for a reporter who dares to speak out, let alone throw his shoes!" AMMAN 00003327 002 OF 002 BEECROFT