US embassy cable - 04AMMAN3449

UNCLAS AMMAN 003449 
 
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 PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMARKS TO 
THE ARAB WORLD 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, May 6, highlights 
King Abdullah's scheduled summit meeting with 
President Bush in Washington today.  President Bush's 
interview on Arab satellite television networks on the 
issue of Iraqi prisoner abuse is highlighted on the 
front page of all Jordanian dailies. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Bush Jr. Addresses the Arabs Regarding the 
Unacceptable and Shameful Violations in Iraq" 
 
Daily columnist Nahed Hattar writes about the 
President's remarks to the Arab world on the op-ed 
page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab 
Al-Yawm (05/06):  "American experts believe that a 
message from the President of the United States of 
America to the Arabs that includes a kind of apology 
for violations against Iraqi prisoners is sufficient 
to restore U.S. credibility among Arabs.  Is this an 
efficient formula?  Reading these words, dear Arab 
reader, you would think that U.S. President George 
Bush Jr., had addressed remarks to you to regain your 
trust after exposing the horrible violations 
perpetrated against the Iraqi prisoners..  So, the 
United States of America has done what it needs to do 
as far as you are concerned, dear Arab, and it 
`expects' you to receive its invading forces with 
flowers!  If you do not, your fate will be similar to 
that of the Iraqi prisoners.  Let us not forget that 
these (prisoners) were subjected to this `unacceptable 
and shameful' treatment because they had resisted the 
American occupation, opposed it, or were even just 
suspected of resisting and opposing it, or even more 
they failed to show sufficient support for the 
invaders who have gone to such trouble and sacrifice 
to establish `democracy' in the Arab world.  You Arabs 
must understand well that `democratic' invasion as a 
principle is not subject to discussion, and you must 
also understand clearly that the American democracy 
being exported to the Arab world has sharp teeth that 
might sometimes prove `unacceptably and shamefully' 
sharp.  This is completely unimportant in view of the 
basic project, which is building `democracy', and 
democracy is, as it is known, facing down the 
`terrorists and the enemies of freedom' and so it 
might regretfully resort to the use of severe force, 
the destruction of residential areas, the killing of 
thousands of men, women and children as well as set up 
prison camps and capture thousands of those who want 
to stop the advance of `democracy'.  Obviously, Bush 
Jr. is not going to say that the invasion itself is 
unacceptable and shameful and that it was launched on 
the basis of completely false justifications, nor will 
he apologize for occupying the Iraqi capital, for 
destroying the Iraqi state and for humiliating the 
Arabs." 
HALE