US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6267

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 006267 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2013 
TAGS: PREL, US, IZ, JO, UNGA 
SUBJECT: GOJ SILENT, MEDIA NEGATIVE ON POTUS SPEECH AT UNGA 
 
Classified By: Amb. Edward W. Gnehm for reasons 1.5 (b)(d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) Although the GOJ did not issue any official commentary 
on President Bush's UNGA speech, the Jordanian media panned 
the remarks as "vulgar" and an "insult" to Arabs, 
particularly the section dealing with the "ideology of 
terrorism."  Many of our contacts admitted to have not heard 
or read the speech themselves, but learned about it from 
editorial commentary.  End Summary. 
 
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GOJ DOES NOT REACT TO POTUS UNGA SPEECH 
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2. (C) The GOJ did not issue any official response or 
statement commenting on President Bush's September 23 UNGA 
speech.  Ali al-Ayed, Foreign Minister Muasher's Private 
Office Director, told PolCouns and PolOff September 29 that 
he was unaware of any public comment on the speech by any GOJ 
official. 
 
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POTUS SPEECH SKEWED AGAINST ARABS... 
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3. (U) In contrast, local media reaction to the UNGA speech 
was negative.  Amman's Arabic Al-Ra'y on September 26 used 
words such as "insult" and "vulgar language" to describe the 
President's speech.  Jihad al-Mumani's commentary, titled "He 
Finds it Easy to Insult the Arabs", argued that President 
Bush's request to Arab states to stop supporting terrorism 
implied that all Arab states support terrorism and all Arabs 
are terrorists. 
 
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...AGAINST ISLAM 
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4. (U)   Al-Mumani further argued that the President's call 
to eradicate the "ideology of terrorism" was a veiled call to 
arms against "Arab Islamic culture" which is viewed as not 
agreeing with the Israeli "occupation" and "terrorism" 
directed against the Palestinian people.  Chief Editor Taher 
Adwan, from the independent, mass appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab 
Al-Yawm, stated that the "enmity of Arabs for America is 
increasing, while America seems to be in a state of war with 
Islam and with the Arabs, and not only with terrorism as it 
claims..." 
 
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COMMENT 
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5. (C) Despite the unusually harsh denunciations of the 
President's speech in the media, few of our contacts offered 
(or had) any independent comment.  When asked, a number 
admitted that they had neither heard nor read the speech 
themselves, but learned about it on al-Jazeera or through 
media commentary. 
GNEHM