US embassy cable - 04AMMAN8693

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008693 
 
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 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ, THE MIDDLE EAST, ANTI- 
SEMITISM LAW 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, October 21, 
continues to focus on the local issue of an 
anticipated reshuffling of the Jordanian Cabinet. 
Other reports highlight regional developments, 
including the resignation of the Lebanese Prime 
Minister Hariri and continued U.S. military operations 
in Fallujah. 
 
             Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
 
-- "Mutiny in the language of the Americans" 
 
Columnist Samih Ma'aytah writes on the back-page of 
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (10/21):  "One of the 
accusations leveled by the temporary Iraqi government 
and the American occupation at Saddam Hussein is his 
suppression of the (1991 Shi'a)  rebellion and the 
uprisings witnessed in some areas of Iraq..  Saddam's 
opponents and the American occupation consider this a 
crime against certain elements of the Iraqi population 
and used that as justification for occupation and 
military aggression.  If we accept this logic and 
consider it sound, then what we are seeing today is 
the shoe on the other foot.  The occupation forces, 
along with forces of the temporary government, are 
besieging Samara and bombing it violently, while 
Fallujah suffers also from the occupation's bombing 
and siege.  The justification given by the temporary 
government and the occupation army is that these 
cities are rebellious and hosting outlaws..  It is 
necessary to compare between the regime of Saddam 
Hussein and the post-Saddam regime.  Those who claimed 
legitimacy in launching aggression and occupation 
presented themselves as a civilized and democratic 
alternative, promising the Iraqi people security, 
stability and freedom.  However, a year and a half 
after the occupation of Baghdad, we see nothing more 
than an occupied city, and Iraqis find in the American 
army of democracy nothing more than what any people 
under occupation would find." 
 
          Editorial Commentary on Middle East 
 
-- "Sharon is not the only source of evil" 
 
Columnist Ibrahim Absi writes on the op-ed page of 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(10/21):  "I have no idea why the commentaries of Arab 
and Jordanian writers focus solely on the killer 
Israeli Prime Minister Sharon and his new Zionist 
project when they discuss the vicious Zionist attack 
against the Palestinian people.  It is as if Sharon is 
the only source of evil in the Zionist entity.  They 
forget that Sharon is the product of a racist and 
extremist right-wing society..  Our problem therefore 
is not with only Sharon.  It is with the extremist and 
deformed Zionist society that brought Sharon to rule.. 
Our bigger problem is with the policies of consecutive 
U.S. administrations, be they Republican or Democrat, 
and their complete bias in favor of these extremist 
Zionists, providing them with unlimited financial, 
political, media and military support and providing 
cover for them to continue their extremism, aggression 
and violation of international law.  While our biggest 
problem is with the United States when it comes to our 
struggle with the Zionist entity, our most serious 
problem is with ourselves.  Throughout our history of 
struggle and pain, defeat and humiliation at the hands 
of our Zionist enemies and their American imperial 
allies, we have not succeeded in convincing Washington 
that we are a great nation and not a marginal one, and 
that we could become so angry that we throw all 
caution to the wind." 
 
       Editorial Commentary on Anti-Semitism Law 
 
-- "America's `democracy' in the service of Israel" 
 
Columnist Yaqoub Jaber writes on the op-ed page of 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(10/20):  "When democracy turns into a tool to serve 
the interests of a small religious sect, because this 
sect has power, money, the media and all kinds of 
tools to pressure the decision-making process, such a 
democracy becomes a laughingstock and worthy of 
contempt.  This is exactly the situation of America's 
democracy; the democracy that it wants to export to 
our region and other parts of the world.  The elected 
American Congress, with all its four hundred members, 
is dedicated to the service of the Jews and Israel on 
an unprecedented level..  The latest phenomenon of 
this farce in the land of democracy is the Congress' 
request that the U.S. Department of State would issue 
an annual report about the so-called anti-Semitism in 
the world.  It did not take President Bush long to 
sign the new law.  Bush, after all, wants to win the 
Jewish votes in elections that reflect a fake 
democracy.  Israel, which stands behind the issuance 
of this law, is going to take advantage of this law to 
the maximum to serve its interests.  It is going to 
use it as a weapon to be drawn in the face of any 
country that criticizes its policies against the 
Palestinian people.  Anyone who dares criticize Israel 
would be accused of anti-Semitism and the mistreatment 
of Jews and may even suffer sanctions imposed by the 
democratic Congress..  America's democracy has allowed 
the Jewish sect and Israel to launch war on Iraq and 
push the United States into a bloody struggle and a 
quagmire.  America's democracy is pushing the United 
States to go after Syria and Iran for the purpose of 
serving Israel and its goals in the region.  America's 
democracy calls what happened in Jabalia a legitimate 
right to self-defense, even if the aggression resulted 
in the killing of thirty Palestinian children and 
emptying a soldier's gun in the dead body of a 
Palestinian girl." 
HALE