US embassy cable - 04AMMAN10231

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 010231 
 
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 MIDDLE EAST 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, December 29, 
focus on developments in the Palestinian-Israeli 
conflict and continued violence in Iraq.  Reports on 
the aftermath of the "apocalyptic" earthquake in Asia 
dominate international news pages in all papers. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Al-Hurra is not free [hurra]" 
 
Columnist Yaqoub Jaber writes on the op-ed page of 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/29):  "In vain, the United States tried to win the 
hearts of Arabs and Muslims in favor of its clumsy 
policies in the Middle East.  The United States 
resorted to methods that can in the least be described 
as nave and silly.  It does so seemingly unaware that 
what is hurting its image most in the Arab region is 
the Palestinian and Iraqi blood on its hands, its 
insistence on supporting Sharon in his bloody crimes 
in the Palestinian Territories, and its continuing 
occupation of Iraq and the slaughter of its people in 
cold blood and on a daily basis..  In its attempts to 
change its ugly image in the Arab world, the United 
States launched a satellite television channel and 
called it, falsely, Al-Hurra [the free], thinking that 
this channel would bring the Arabs around with regard 
to American policy..  One of the programs broadcast by 
Al-Hurra is called `Sa'ah Hurra' [free hour] that 
hosts various groups of begrudging writers and 
analysts and, for the sake of camouflage, inserts an 
Arab personality known for opposition to U.S. 
policies.  It happened that I watched an episode of 
this program on the Syrian role in Lebanon.  I noticed 
that the host was giving ample time for the guests 
opposed to Syrian policy, while the guest who opposes 
U.S. policy was cut off as soon as he began to speak, 
particularly when addressing a sensitive issue likely 
to expose the fragility of  U.S. policy or the grave 
mistakes made under false slogans in Iraq and 
Palestine." 
 
-- "The London conference and a little bit of required 
hope" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/29):  "Like other political initiatives that broke 
on the rock of Israeli intransigence and U.S. bias, 
the image of the initiative launched lately by the 
British Prime Minister dwindles..  from being an 
international conference for peace in the Middle East, 
Blair's initiative turned into a conference to discuss 
the Palestinian Authority's reform and restructuring. 
From being a conference designed to pave the way for 
resuming the negotiations to salvage Bush's vision and 
the roadmap, it turned into a conference from which 
Israeli will be absent so that it would not give the 
impression that the negotiations have started.  The 
result is that Blair's idea for an international 
conference has been enfeebled and so did his 
`historic' mission in the region.  He became like any 
other international envoy, coming and going and 
carrying the very same merchandise.  Blair's mission 
may conclude next March with an eased feeling of guilt 
towards the Palestinians, but it will fail to 
encourage Arab and Palestinian belief that regaining 
stolen rights is imminent or that peace is at hand." 
 
-- "The American peace delegation" 
 
Columnist Haidar Rashid writes on the op-ed page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(12/29):  "The number of the American delegation from 
the `families for peace' organization is not large 
compared to the millions of the American people, but 
this limited number constitutes an important and 
serious case: five of its fourteen members had lost 
sons in Iraq.  The humble amount brought by the 
delegation in the form of humanitarian equipment does 
not exceed 600,000 dollars, which does not even come 
close to the billions being spent by the United States 
on the war or that will be stolen from Iraq as a 
result of the occupation.  Yet, this amount 
constitutes a significant case in relation to what is 
going on in Iraq, to the U.S. administration and the 
American people's position towards it and its role in 
Iraq.  The small American delegation holds U.S. 
President Bush and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld 
responsible for the death of the American soldiers in 
Iraq.  This is the most significant indication of the 
delegation's visit..  The American peace delegation is 
a phenomenon not to be belittled or doubted.  It 
reflects a genuine tendency among the American people 
that has not materialized yet in the form of pressure 
that would lead to America's withdrawal from Iraq. 
The American dead in Iraq will be one of the most 
important factors leading to the materialization of 
such a pressuring position." 
HALE