US embassy cable - 05AMMAN999

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000999 
 
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 story in all papers today, February 7, focuses 
on front-page coverage of the OECD and UNDP-sponsored 
"Governance for Development" conference that began at 
the Dead Sea, Jordan, yesterday.  Reports highlight 
King Abdullah's meetings with different Arab leaders 
and officials on the sidelines of this conference. 
Another lead story highlights US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice's tour in the region and her meeting 
with PM Sharon yesterday. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Sharm El-Sheikh summit" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(02/07):  "It seems that Israeli Prime Minister Sharon 
has received strong American advice to cooperate with 
the new Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and to 
enable Abbas to secure a number of achievements that 
would grant the latter more legitimacy and allow him 
to re-launch the peace process in a manner that would 
achieve President Bush's vision for a peaceful and 
sustainable Palestinian state..  It also seems that 
the Palestinian factions have received strong Egyptian 
advice to quiet down and provide an opportunity for re- 
launching the peace process..  America provided 
political support . and also decided to grant 350 
million dollars to the Palestinian Authority to reform 
it and to enable it to play the role that awaits it. 
Sharon realizes that he cannot anger the U.S. 
President in his second term, particularly when the 
latter is no longer at the mercy of the Zionist Lobby 
or the Jewish vote.  The Palestinian factions realize 
that the Palestinian President is very serious about 
putting an end to the militarization of the Intifada, 
amicably if possible, but with force if needed.  All 
this means that there is now an opportunity for a 
serious move stemming from the Sharm El-Sheikh summit 
meeting." 
 
-- "The requirement is to stop the American bias for 
Sharon" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(02/07):  "There is great conviction in the Middle 
East that peace is something that can be accomplished 
if only left for the Palestinians and the Israelis to 
resolve, and that American interventions since the 
Oslo Accords have led to the deterioration of the 
peace rather than its advancement.  This is true to a 
large extent.  Ever since President Clinton intervened 
at the Camp David summit, the peace process started 
its decline towards the abyss, and since Bush came to 
power, the only evident things were the U.S. bias in 
favor of Sharon's use of force and the complete 
hostility towards the Palestinian Authority and its 
late President Arafat.  In short, if Rice really wants 
to succeed in reactivating the peace process, she has 
to prove to the Palestinians and the Arabs that the 
era of the U.S. administration's blind bias is over. 
America has to play the role of the `mediator for 
good' and not the `mediator for evil'." 
 
-- "Sharm El-Sheikh summit in the balance" 
 
Columnist Salameh Ukour writes on the op-ed page semi- 
official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (02/07): 
"There is no doubt that the visit of U.S. Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice to the region may help 
reactivate the peace process, particularly since 
President Bush gave urgent attention to the peace 
process in his State of the Union address.  Moreover, 
Condoleezza Rice's remarks last week, stressing the 
importance of a successful peace process leading to 
the establishment of the independent Palestinian 
state, indicates an opportunity to push the peace 
process forward.  This calls for a strong and decisive 
Arab stand in support of the Palestinians..  The 
important thing is for Sharon to face a unified stand 
by the Arab leaders at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit 
tomorrow; a stand that adheres to Palestinian national 
principles, particularly the establishment of an 
independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.  It 
is similarly important for the Sharm El-Sheikh 
conference to stress that Israel's unilateral 
withdrawal from Gaza and some West Bank cities is part 
and parcel of the roadmap, and not an isolated 
initiative on the part of Ariel Sharon." 
HALE