US embassy cable - 04AMMAN6107

UNCLAS AMMAN 006107 
 
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 "CHAOS" IN GAZA 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, July 19, focuses on 
King Abdullah's meeting with the Iraq Prime Minister 
Iyad Alawi on his first visit to Jordan since his 
appointment as Prime Minister.  Other lead stories 
continue to report on developments in Gaza. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Silence is no longer possible" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(07/19):  "Arafat, who was an asset to the Palestinian 
people and their cause, has started to become, after 
9/11 and repercussions that affected every country and 
society, including Gaza, a burden to the Palestinian 
national cause...the path to freedom and independence 
inevitably passes through political, security, 
financial and administrative reform.  As long as 
President Arafat is not willing to undertake real, 
serious, comprehensive and genuine reforms, he is 
placing additional obstacles on the already- 
complicated path to freedom." 
 
-- "All the power to Arafat" 
 
Influential daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes in semi- 
official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (07/19): 
"The PNA is about to collapse from the inside, just 
like the Soviet Union did under the influence of 
corruption that ate away at it from the inside.... 
There is no foreign conspiracy to deprive the 
Palestinian people of reaping the fruits of the 
decision of the International Court of Justice against 
the legitimacy of the wall, the occupation and the 
settlements.  The world has stood by us, but we failed 
to stand by ourselves.  We have pushed matters to the 
point of explosion.  Arafat is rejected worldwide, but 
he continues to hold on to his seat at the expense of 
world support for the Palestinian people and their 
cause.  He has become a burden to the Palestinian 
people and their cause, and it has become a 
requirement to sacrifice the Palestinian state in 
return for the 'county' in Ramallah." 
HALE