US embassy cable - 03AMMAN5378

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005378 
 
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 AND THE MIDDLE EAST 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, August 25, and 
over the weekend, focus on the "collapse" of the truce 
between the Palestinians and Israel.  Front pages of 
all papers today highlight the Israeli "assassination" 
of four Palestinians in Gaza.  Major reports continue 
to highlight developments in Iraq.  Some papers today 
highlight the scheduled visit of members of the Iraqi 
governing council to Jordan. 
 
             Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
 
-- "The Arab effort towards Iraq" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(08/25):  "A delegation representing the governing 
council of Iraq is arriving today in Jordan as part of 
a tour in Arab countries..  To deal with the council 
would be part of a more effective involvement of Arabs 
in the Iraqi situation, whereas reject it would be 
simply one more addition to the Arab performance so 
far, which is marked by negativity and passivity. 
Arabs must meet and connect with all Iraqi parties 
within and without the governing council.  This 
governing council includes the major political forces 
known in Iraq.  From now and until legitimate 
elections determining who represents the Iraqis take 
place, there is no other way but to become involved 
and deal with the current forces in power and not 
leave the arena free for the Americans.  The American 
failure, whether it is deliberate or the outcome of 
shortsightedness and foolishness on the part of the 
right-wing gang in the U.S. administration, must force 
the Arabs to move and take action in order to look out 
for and protect the effort underway in Iraq to mend 
the political system and speed the process of placing 
power in the hands of Iraqis. 
 
-- "Unholy alliance becomes more evident" 
 
Daily columnist Raja Talab writes on the op-ed page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(08/25):  "What the Americans wanted to prove before 
the war against the former Iraqi regime is now being 
proven after the demise of the Saddam Hussein era. 
The relationship that the Americans talked about 
between the former regime in Iraq and Al-Qa'eda 
organization is clearly beginning to take shape.  The 
explosion of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad and the 
suicide bombing against the U.N. headquarters are 
clear indications of practical cooperation between the 
remnants of the former regime and the extremist 
Islamic organizations brought forth by Al-Qa'eda in 
Iraq since the beginning of the relationship between 
that organization and Iraqi intelligence in 1996..  It 
is quite evident now that the remnants of the former 
regime are providing money and ammunition to Al-Qa'eda 
and to Ansar Al-Islam, and that these two groups are 
undertaking the suicide operations.  It also seems 
that the target is any party who has some form of 
relation to the new situation in Iraq.  The Arab and 
foreign embassies that are opening their doors in Iraq 
are going to be targeted, and so will be the Arab and 
international political figures who are visiting Iraq, 
in addition, of course, to the allied forces..  These 
are unholy alliances, for which only innocent people 
and the religion of Islam, in whose name these crimes 
are being committed, are paying the price." 
 
-- "The Iraqi resistance: which forces and what 
visions?" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/24):  "We are driven by instinct to take the side 
of the resistance, any resistance to any foreign 
occupation.  Yet, we do not take the trouble to ask 
about the nature of this resistance and the forces 
that are waging it.  We do not trouble ourselves to 
consider the outcome of that resistance, particularly 
when it has to do with the fate of a homeland and 
people like Iraq's.  We watch the news showing images 
of operations launched by the `Iraqi resistance' 
against the U.S. occupation.  We feel ecstatic, 
because these operations target an arrogant occupation 
and because they target the United States, for which 
three quarters of the Arabs and Muslims have no 
affection, since they suffered from its double 
standards and more its arrogance and intransigence. 
Yet, we shiver at the thought that this resistance 
comes from one of two sources: the remnants of the old 
regime and its security and intelligence apparatus; 
and fundamentalist and extremists forces that are 
inspired by the spirit of Taliban and the methods of 
Al-Qa'eda..  The attacks against the Jordanian embassy 
and the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad presage the 
deeper trends of this resistance.  Observers believe 
that, should the situation in Iraq remain as it is, 
alliances and forces would spring from this state of 
chaos and insecurity that are remindful of the 
alliance of the Taliban and others from the Afghani 
experience.  We do not know, as of yet, serious and 
respectful forces, of political weight, intellect and 
social representation (worth supporting), that have 
adopted such a military resistance in Iraq." 
HALE