US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5100

UNCLAS AMMAN 005100 
 
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 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, ROAD MAP 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today (08/12) focus on 
the continued debate in the Jordanian Parliament 
regarding the government's performance in advance of a 
"vote of confidence" measure on Thursday, August 13. 
In these reports, correspondents note the criticism of 
the government from Islamist deputies, and the 
declaration of several Islamists to vote "no" on the 
measure.  Another lead story today focuses on the work 
of an FBI investigation team looking into the bombing 
of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad. 
 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "The Iraqi Governing Council .Becomes `Iraqi' Only 
After the End of the Occupation!" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/12): "The Arab League is correct in refusing to 
recognize the Iraqi Governing Council for one simple 
reason - that it was formed under the U.S. occupation. 
If this Council was formed without the presence of 
U.S. tanks, it would indeed have been the best 
political arrangement for Iraq.  But one cannot 
discuss procedures and details and forget the main 
principle -- that this is a political arrangement 
based on an occupation, and hence, it should be 
rejected. . . We wish the Iraqi Governing Council 
success in liberating Iraq from occupation and 
regaining stability in the country and establishing a 
new Iraqi state that all Iraqis deserve.  We welcome 
the Iraqi Governing Council amongst the Arabs once 
U.S. tanks leave Iraq.  But in the presence of those 
tanks, this Council will remain a political 
arrangement under occupation and will remain 
unacceptable to Arabs." 
 
-- "Bush and the Road Map" 
 
Commenting on President Bush's description of the 
security wall that Israel is building as a "problem," 
daily columnist Musa Hawamdeh writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/12): "We want to wait and see if Bush will succeed 
in convincing Sharon that the wall is a problem and 
that it is better to build a peace wall rather than a 
war and racism wall.  However, he will not dare to 
make any statement or exert any pressure on Sharon, 
neither behind nor in front of the scenes, as some 
Arab analysts are deluded to think.  The truce may not 
last long, although we would have hoped that it last 
long enough for Bush to understand that the problem is 
not just with the wall, but with the Zionist mentality 
and the United States' absolute bias to Israel that 
will not help establish peace or justice, and that 
leniency towards Israel which translate to strong 
support for it.  We are aware of the gentle language 
used by U.S. officials to criticize Israel while the 
Arabs and Palestinians are bombarded with missiles, 
statements, and orders." 
HALE