US embassy cable - 03AMMAN7003

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 007003 
 
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 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- A number of  October 28-29 commentaries comment on 
"the day of bombings" in Baghdad, namely the five 
October 27 attacks in Baghdad one of which was against 
the Red Cross.  The majority of these commentaries 
strongly criticize such attacks as "criminal" actions, 
and as attempts to "defame the Iraqi resistance" and 
as a "violation of human morality".  Lead stories 
today, October 29, focus on Foreign Minister Marwan 
Muasher's first press conference since the formation 
of the new Jordanian government, during which he spoke 
about the King's visit to Kuwait during Ramadan and to 
the United States in December with a "Palestinian 
peace plan". 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Iraq: where to? Resistance or open slaughter?" 
 
Semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (10/29) 
editorializes:  "There is an urgent need to stop this 
bloodbath and cycle of violence in Iraq.  No one would 
be able to perform this miracle except the Iraqis 
themselves, because the crimes that are being 
committed now are not going to speed up the end of the 
occupation, rather they are going to give it the 
justification to stay on under the pretext that Iraq 
has become the confrontation arena between the forces 
of good and the forces of terrorism.  Iraq's future is 
decided by its people, and not by a sect, a political 
party or one group or another.  There is no faster way 
to save Iraq from the current bloodshed than to hurry 
up and declare the constitution, conduct the 
elections, and bring forth a national rule that 
represents everybody." 
 
-- "The agenda of terrorism and the agenda of 
resistance" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(10/29):  "Why did the non-Iraqi intruders divert 
their military operations from targeting American 
soldiers and equipment to targeting civilians, the 
police and Iraqi and humanitarian organizations?  When 
such organizations, the police and Iraqi civilians 
become targets, it means that the war is no longer 
against the American occupation, but against every 
authority, and when they are capable of such horrific 
operations, then how can anyone call for the 
withdrawal of the American troops!  This is exactly 
what is intended by diverting these operations so 
brutally to target the people.  It is an attempt to 
stop the transfer of authority and the establishment 
of a U.N. role.  It is a vicious attempt to impose the 
agenda of the intruders, who flocked to Iraq, being 
the arena with excellent opportunities - opportunities 
that must not vanish with America's withdrawal and the 
establishment of a new democratic Iraqi regime. 
Rather, this chaos and collapse must be prolonged.. 
This deviation and those who stand behind it must not 
enjoy any support from any political forces, 
particularly the Islamic ones.  Statements and 
declarations of clear condemnation and denunciation 
must be issued, considering every action that does not 
exclusively target occupation troops and equipment as 
a criminal act that harms the resistance and the cause 
of Iraq and the Iraqis." 
 
-- "Occupation, security and freedom in Iraq" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(10/29):  "The problem with these operations that 
target international organizations in Iraq and Iraqi 
institutions, victimizing innocent Iraqis and 
foreigners who have left their homes and their 
families to help the Iraqi people, lies not only in 
the fact that it violates all sense of human morality, 
but also in the fact that, at the end of day, its 
serves the American objectives and justifications for 
maintaining the presence of American occupation forces 
in Iraq..  There is a difference between national 
resistance aimed at putting an end to the occupation 
and criminal parties that want chaos and terrorism to 
prevail in Iraq so that it would become an arena for 
all outlawed organizations in the Muslim world.  If 
the armed operations were targeted against American 
forces only, then we would be sure that the departure 
of these forces would mean Iraqi freedom, security and 
stability without chaos.  But these criminal 
operations against innocent people and the presence of 
terrorist organizations turns into a real possibility 
the American claim, that its withdrawal will lead to 
chaos for which the Iraqi people pay the price.  The 
Iraqi people need freedom and an independent decision- 
making process.  They need a national Iraqi government 
that will transfer Iraq and its people into a secure 
and stable future by investing their natural and human 
resources and by obtaining the rights that were 
blocked by the Baathist regime and the American 
occupation.  These legitimate aspirations of the Iraqi 
people may be different from the ambitions of Arab 
nationalists and Islamists, who want to turn Iraq into 
an arena of open Jihad and war against the American 
forces." 
 
-- "A booby-trapped ambulance? What kind of resistance 
is this!" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(10/28):  "It takes a criminal mind to think about 
transferring an ambulance, used to help and save the 
sick and the wounded, into a bomb and source for 
killing.  Such a mind, which planned such a crime 
against an international organization that serves the 
Iraqi people and tries to save them from misery, 
sickness and destruction, cannot be the mind of 
national resistance.  The crimes in Baghdad were 
designed to defame the Iraqi resistance . and cannot 
be justified nor accepted under any circumstances. 
Targeting international organization such as the Red 
Cross and Iraqi institutions is not nationalistic 
action.  They are real crimes that must be denounced.. 
Our colleagues who call for all forms of resistance in 
Iraq are going to be very happy with Monday's attacks, 
because they mean that the occupation failed and that 
Iraq is worse off now than in Saddam's days..  I 
cannot believe that there is anyone who would support 
the blowing up of a booby-trapped ambulance in front 
of the Red Cross and the killing of tens of innocent 
people and supporters of the Iraqi people just to send 
a political message to George Bush." 
 
-- "Powell and what he expected in Iraq" 
 
Daily columnist Yaser Za'atreh writes on the op-ed 
page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al- 
Dustour (10/29):  "It is not true what U.S. Secretary 
of State Colin Powell said about not expecting this 
much Iraqi resistance, because the American right-wing 
did not expect any resistance whatsoever..  Today, 
Bush, Rumsfeld, Powell and Wolfowitz find that Iraq 
has become a horrific quagmire, although resistance 
remains quite limited and confined to Arab Sunnis.. 
What has been happening so far is but a part of what 
the Iraqis are capable of doing to resist the 
occupation.  Here comes the Holy Month of Ramadan, the 
month of Jihad and sacrifice, and we are going to see 
more heroic actions, which confirm the fact that the 
Islamic resistance being hunted down in Palestine by 
Bush and Sharon has risen even stronger Iraq." 
GNEHM