US embassy cable - 04AMMAN6463

UNCLAS AMMAN 006463 
 
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 
 
-- The lead story in all papers published today, 
August 2, focuses on King Abdullah's visit to 
Thailand.  Other lead stories continue to highlight 
the ongoing situation in Iraq, focusing on the car 
explosions outside churches and the developments on 
the Jordanian hostage front.  All papers highlight the 
Jordanian government spokesperson's reaction to 
reported Israeli objections to a U.S.-Jordan air-to- 
air missiles deal as "an Israeli response to Jordan's 
effectiveness in opposing Israel's construction of the 
separation wall in the West Bank". 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Multi-religious troops for Iraq!" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(08/02):  "U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's 
recent visit to the Middle East encountered some 
success, since he got approval to send Islamic troops 
to Iraq to function under the umbrella of the American 
forces or independently in coordination with the 
multinational troops that seem to be turning into 
multi-religious troops..  Up to now, the official Arab 
stand has been clear: Arab troops will not go into 
Iraq as long as there is an occupation so that they do 
not come into confrontation with the Iraqi people for 
the benefit of America, but they could go into Iraq to 
replace occupation forces when they pull out and upon 
Iraq's request.  The Iraqi resistance will not welcome 
Arab and Muslim forces with open arms.  They target 
everyone who works or cooperates with the occupation, 
and even Iraqis are not excluded.  The Islamic troops 
for which Colin Powell got approval to send to Iraq 
will be a target for the resistance, because they are 
going to Iraq at a time when troops of other 
countries, which America dragged into its war, are 
pulling out..  The Arab and Muslim military 
intervention in Iraq means raising Arab weapons in the 
face of an Arab people.  It also means that the 
countries involved in the American project are 
exposing themselves to becoming an arena for local and 
imported terrorism.  No interest is served if any Arab 
or Muslim government volunteers to serve the American 
project at the expense of its own principles, 
interests and security." 
HALE