US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6613

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006613 
 
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 RECTION ON MIDDLE EAST 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, October 16, 
highlights the blast that took place at the entrance 
of Gaza, killing three Americans.  The same lead 
stories highlight the U.S. veto against the Arab draft 
UNSC resolution condemning Israel's dividing wall in 
the West Bank.  Reports feature the various 
Palestinian, Arab and international condemnations of 
the blast, including Jordan's official denunciation of 
the "terrorist operation". 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Who benefits?" 
 
Semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (10/16) 
editorializes:  "Suddenly and with an ill-omened 
development, the bombing of the American employees' 
vehicle in the north of Gaza comes to increase the 
complications and the confusion on the Palestinian 
scene and to pose new questions about the agenda of 
the Palestinian national movement..  The `operation' 
seems to reflect a desire for blind revenge against 
the Americans for the unlimited support that the U.S. 
administration is showing towards Israel, the most 
recent of which is vetoing the Arab draft resolution 
considering Israel's construction of the wall illegal 
and a violation of international legitimacy.  Yet, it 
is time for the Palestinians to look around them and 
carefully reread the regional and international scenes 
away from emotional reactions, that could be sometimes 
justifiable, but that, in reality, result in reducing 
international support for the Palestinian cause..  No 
one stands to benefit from yesterday's operation 
except the enemies of the Palestinian people and those 
who have succeeded in turning the legitimate 
Palestinian struggle against the occupation into 
terrorism which must be fought..  It is time to 
abandon these methods and to restore nobility to the 
people's non-violent and unarmed struggle, not only 
because the balance of power is tipping in favor of 
the occupation forces, but also because this would be 
the best way to regain the support of the world's 
public opinion." 
 
-- "Who killed the CIA men in Gaza?" 
 
Columnist Yaser Abu Hilaleh writes on the op-ed page 
of the semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(10/16):  "They did it in Beit Hanoun, exactly as they 
had done in the World Trade Center before.  The Mossad 
kill the CIA men.  It was not enough that they created 
a huge gap between the Muslim world and the United 
States after 9/11.  They had to deepen the gap between 
the Palestinians and the Americans..  Politically, 
what happened in Beit Hanoun is disastrous and is 
going to hurt the Palestinian people and strengthen 
the Bush-Sharon alliance.  The decision to carry out 
this attack, whoever made that decision, did not only 
blow up the motorcade of the CIA men, but also 
Palestinian-American relations.  This explosion is 
going to have serious repercussions, not only for the 
Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority, but also 
for the region..  The Beit Hanoun explosion is another 
disaster that the Palestinians did not need, neither 
did the Americans.  However, it may just alert the 
Americans to the extent their relationship with the 
region has reached.  They do not need to hear repeated 
lectures about the need to review their policies and 
to limit their bias in favor of Israel.  They probably 
need to be reassured and appeased, otherwise their 
feelings of revenge have the capability of destroying 
this region even more.  Accusing the Mossad of 
perpetrating this explosion does not ease the anger of 
the Americans.  But the Mossad is really responsible 
in an indirect way.  Their crimes, which they 
perpetrate with American weapons, have made a large 
number of people view the arms makers and dealers as 
partners in crime.  No doubt the explosion is going 
complicate the situation nationwide, but instead of 
running away from the problem, facts should be faced, 
no matter how bitter and harsh they are, namely the 
fact that the relationship between American and the 
Arab and Muslim world is now based on enmity and 
hatred.  This relationship must be rectified." 
 
-- "A new veto that does not concern us" 
 
Columnist Khaled Mahadeen writes on the op-ed page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(10/16):  "Congratulations to the Arab regime, the 
Muslim regime, the European regime and to the new and 
old world orders for this fresh American veto..  What 
loss of balance and credibility is this that now 
governs the U.S. policy?  Does such loss of balance 
and lack of credibility lead the superpower, the 
United States, to this level of floundering, 
determined to strike against the one that does not 
strike it back because it cannot strike the one that 
is striking it back, defeating it and providing proof 
of its failure in Iraq, in Palestine, in Lebanon and 
in Afghanistan.  The Israeli entity, in its 
desperation and naivet, is trying to build two 
prisons, one for the Palestinian people and its brave 
resistance, and the other for the Israelis and their 
tools of terror.  It will not be long before they find 
out that iron and cement cannot beat the Palestinians 
and peace alone, established on the values and 
principles of international legitimacy, can grant the 
Israelis hope.  I, as an Arab citizen, am not 
concerned with this American veto.  It is addressed to 
the governments and the foreign ministries of every 
Arab and Muslim country and to all those who defend 
friendship and alliance with Washington." 
GNEHM