US embassy cable - 04AMMAN9851

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 009851 
 
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 AND IRAN 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, December 13, 
focuses on the attack against an Israeli checkpoint 
between Gaza and Egypt.  Reports on Palestinian issues 
highlight Marwan Barghouti's reported decision to 
withdraw from the Palestinian presidential elections 
and Mahmoud Abbas' reported "apology" to Kuwait for 
the Palestinian stance during the 1990-91 Gulf 
conflict during a visit there.  All papers also 
highlight the situation in Iraq, including continued 
American bombing of Fallujah.  King Abdullah's to 
Japan received front-page coverage. 
 
             Editorial Commentary on Iraq 
 
-- "Boycott in the name of all of Iraq" 
 
Columnist Nahed Hattar writes on the op-ed page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(12/13):  "The escalating Iraqi resistance is not in a 
defensive position, but rather in an offensive 
position, and this is true as long as it continues to 
reject compromise and insists on the departure of the 
occupiers.  It thus confirms that it represents Iraq 
and the Iraqi state, whatever the religion of most of 
the combatants.  We say `most' because the combatants 
of the Iraqi resistance are not limited to the Sunni 
Arabs, but also include noble Iraqis from all 
religions and ethnic backgrounds.  With the Iraqi 
resistance in an offensive position, the issue today 
is not whether the elections are held or not, but 
rather the continuation of occupation versus 
sovereignty and freedom, i.e., America versus Iraq. 
This nullifies any other issue.Luckily for Iraq, Iraqi 
Sunni Arabs have remained loyal to the Iraq nation and 
continue to reject characterization as a sect looking 
for a piece of the pie..  The Sunni Arabs' boycott of 
the sectarian elections in occupied Iraq does not just 
represent a rejection that they become a political 
sect only,  it is also a rejection of the 
establishment of sectarianism and a sectarian system 
in Iraq." 
 
-- "The price of lacking security in Fallujah" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(12/13):  "In short, the price of bringing security in 
Fallujah, which was endorsed in the name of elections 
and democracy, is a paid by the civilians..  The 
result is no Zarqawi and no anything, as if we are 
seeing another scenario like that of the weapons of 
mass destruction.  What is going on in Iraq is a 
forgery of facts and events.  That is why the media is 
being prevented from reporting events and the little 
that does come out is being curtailed through threats 
against reporters.  Describing the massive resistance 
against the occupation summarily as terrorist actions 
of the Zarqawi group or the Sunni Triangle or 
otherwise is far from the truth and reality of the 
matter.  What is going on is an entire people's 
resistance to the occupation." 
 
-- Iraqi elections: between worse and the worst" 
 
Veteran journalist and columnist Rana Sabbagh writes 
on the op-ed page of independent, Arabic daily Al-Ghad 
(12/13):  "Between worse and the worst, the Iraqi 
elections are to be held amidst speculation of boycott 
by a large number of Iraqis, either due to a lack of 
security or to their lack of belief in the process.. 
While the CIA warns of growing causes for a civil war 
in Iraq, those in charge both inside and outside Iraq 
insist on holding the elections, despite the results 
that would shape the political beginnings of Iraq's 
future.  It is as if these elections are designed to 
select those who would manage and run this war and 
ease the burden off the shoulders of the American 
forces.  Yet Washington, which occupied Iraq with 
superficial tourist information about its religious, 
social and political structure, is going to be 
displeased with the results of the elections and is 
going to find out that these elections are going to 
entrench the conflict among the ethnic and sectarian 
groups under the banner of democracy and amidst 
absence of genuine understanding of the cultural 
structure of the Iraqi people, some of whom still whip 
themselves for failing those they thought were their 
legitimate leaders.  The American scenario in Iraq 
reminds some of us of the CIA's proposition in the 
late seventies to chastise the Shah of Iran when he 
disobeyed America in the Gulf.  America's leaders 
insisted on stirring the Iranian street against the 
Shah, only for Washington to find that the ceiling and 
not the street had collapsed, giving rise to a Shiite 
Islamic revolution, which disturbs the peace and quiet 
of Washington and its allies in the region to this 
day.  The fear now is that the scenario will be 
repeated, but this time in Iraq and with an Arab 
dimension..  Those who have been whipping themselves 
for centuries for failing their leaders are going to 
make Washington whip itself after the elections.  The 
Shiite who is going to vote is the same as the Sunni 
who is pointing his gun against the occupation.  The 
difference is how they calculate the results, because 
they both view the occupation as a cow to be eaten and 
but differ in how to eat it..  The tables will turn 
against the Americans, who will be before two choices: 
either accept the results of the elections and the 
establishment of a Shiite state, as previously 
happened in Iran, or cancel the results and create 
another Algeria in Iraq." 
 
             Editorial Commentary on Iran 
 
-- "Nuclear Iran: a precious Persian rug" 
 
Columnist Basem Tweisi writes on the op-ed page of 
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (12/13):  "The IAEA 
decision with regard to freezing Iran's nuclear 
activities represents another chapter in the long-term 
struggle of interests between the United States and 
Iran, a struggle that wreaks of oil, water, geography 
and ideologies.  Although the latest step was a topic 
of conflict inside and outside Iran, particularly with 
regard to the amount of gain achieved by Iran as a 
result of its compromises, it is clear that the quiet 
Iranian diplomacy, which has been weaving the nuclear 
file since 1991, has succeeded in averting a new 
American escalation that could reach the point of 
harsh sanction on Tehran leading to military 
confrontations, which is something that Iran can do 
without..  The complexities that have marked the Iran 
file for more than thirty years leave room for the 
possibility of many future surprises, either in the 
area of nuclear development or in the country's 
relations with the United States - including surprises 
that could focus the attention of the entire world." 
HALE