US embassy cable - 02AMMAN3804

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
USCINCCENT/CCPA, USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL 
NICOSIA FOR ILMG 
STATE PASS TO AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN MEDIA REACTION ON ARAB CONSULTATIONS, 
IRAQ, U.S. REGIONAL POLICY. 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
NEWS REPORTS IN JORDAN'S DAILIES CONTAINED THREE 
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE SAUDI 
FOREIGN MINISTER'S MEETING WITH KING ABDULLAH, MEETINGS 
BETWEEN JORDANIAN AND PALESTINIAN OFFICIALS OVER THE 
NEW ARRANGEMENTS ON THE BRIDGE, AND THE JORDANIAN 
GOVERNMENT'S INVITATION TO THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO 
VISIT ANY JORDANIAN MILITARY BASE TO ENSURE THAT JORDAN 
WOULD NOT BE USED AS A LAUNCHING GROUND FOR AN ATTACK 
AGAINST HIS COUNTRY. 
 
EDITORIAL WRITERS COMMENTED ON THE AMERICAN THREATS TO 
IRAQ, THE BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS, AND U.S. 
REGIONAL POLICY. 
 
 
NEWS REPORTS 
 
ALL JORDANIAN DAILIES LED WITH REPORTS ON THE MEETING 
BETWEEN KING ABDULLAH AND THE SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, 
IN WHICH THEY SOUGHT TO COORDINATE POSITIONS IN 
PREPARATION FOR THE FORTHCOMING ARAB MINISTERS' METING 
IN CAIRO, ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS. 
 
JORDANIAN DAILIES ALSO REPORTED THE MEETING BETWEEN 
JORDAN'S PRIME MINISTER AND SA'EB EREQAT ON THE 
SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, AND ANOTHER 
MEETING BETWEEN JORDAN'S MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND HIS 
PALESTINIAN COUNTERPART, WHICH DEALT WITH THE NEW 
ARRANGEMENTS TO FACILITATE THE PASSAGE OF PALESTINIANS 
FROM THE WEST BANK TO JORDAN. 
 
CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON 
JULY 11 REPORTED THAT THE JORDANIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS HAS INVITED THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR TO INSPECT ANY 
JORDANIAN MILITARY BASE TO ENSURE THAT JORDAN WOULD 
HAVE NO ROLE IN ANY FORTHCOMING ATTACK AGAINST HIS 
COUNTRY. 
 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES 
 
-- THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REJECTS WASHINGTON'S 
PLANS TO STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ 
DAILY COLUMNIST MOHAMMAD NAJI AMAYREH WROTE IN SEMI- 
OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 11: 
"AS INTERNATIONAL OPPOSITION TO U.S. PLANS IN IRAQ 
RISES, PRESIDENT BUSH CONTINUES HIS THREATS AND UNVEILS 
HIS DETERMINATION TO CHANGE THE IRAQI REGIME BY ALL 
MEANS AT HIS DISPOSAL.  IT IS NO LONGER A SECRET THAT 
U.S. OBJECTIVES ARE NOT RELATED TO IRAQ'S RESPECT OF 
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, ITS WEAPONS OF MASS 
DESTRUCTION, OR WHAT AMERICANS CALL ITS THREATS TO ITS 
NEIGHBORS. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CONTROL ARAB OIL AND 
SERVE ISRAEL'S INTERESTS. IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT 
WASHINGTON CANNOT FIND A SINGLE ARAB OR NON-ARAB VOICE 
THAT STANDS WITH IT IN ITS AGGRESSION.  WILL THE U.S. 
STAND ALONE AGAINST THE WILL OF THE WORLD, SUPPORTED 
ONLY BY ISRAEL?" 
 
-- THE BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS IS NOT AS ITS 
ENEMIES DESCRIBE IT 
FORMER PRESS SECRETARY TO THE ROYAL COURT KHALED 
MAHADIN WROTE IN SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY 
AL-RAI ON JULY 11: "ATTEMPTS TO PORTRAY THE ARAB 
BOYCOTT OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS IS NOT, AS ITS CRITICS TRY 
TO PORTRAY IT, A NATIONAL STRUGGLE TO DESTROY THE 
AMERICAN ECONOMY.  THERE IS NOT A FRIEND OR ENEMY OF 
THE U.S. WHO DOES NOT REALIZE THAT OUR NATIONAL 
ECONOMIES ARE IN THE AMERICAN GRIP, WHICH USES IT TO 
SERVE THE AMERICAN CONSUMER, WHO SPENDS LAVISHLY ON HIS 
DIET AT THE EXPENSE OF ARABS WHO CANNOT FIND ENOUGH TO 
EAT OR TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE. THE ISSUE IS NOT ECONOMIC 
EVEN IN THE LAST DEGREE.  IT IS A NATIONAL CAUSE THAT 
BECOMES NECESSARY IN VIEW OF THE ARAB OFFICIAL MEDIA'S 
CONCERN ONLY WITH ISSUES THAT DO NOT CONCERN ARAB 
CITIZENS. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE IDENTITY OF WHO IS WITH 
US AND WHO IS AGAINST US." 
 
-- A POLICY OF CONVULSIONS AND VENGEFULNESS 
TAHER AL-ADWAN, CHIEF EDITOR OF INDEPENDENT, MASS- 
APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM WROTE ON JULY 11: 
"THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S AGENDA AFFIRMS HIS 
PREOCCUPATION WITH TWO ITEMS: OUSTING YASSER ARAFAT 
FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PALESTINIANS AND ELIMINATING 
PRESIDENT SADDAM HUSSEIN OF IRAQ. THIS REMINDS US OF 
HIS MILITARY AGENDA IN AFGHANISTAN, TO KILL MULLA OMAR 
AND BIN LADEN.  THE WARS OF THE U.S. HAVE BECOME 
PERSONAL AFFAIRS, AND ITS POLICIES ARE NO LONGER 
BEFITTING OF A SUPERPOWER THAT IS SUPPOSED TO UPHOLD 
INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY. WHAT THE U.S. PRESIDENT WANTS 
IN IRAQ AND PALESTINE IS THE SAME AS WHAT SHARON WANTS, 
AND ITS IS IMPOSSIBLE TO JUSTIFY, EXCEPT THROUGH SOME 
WARPED EVANGELISM, SUCH AS THE CLAIM THAT IRAQ NEEDS TO 
BE DESTROYED IN ORDER TO BUILD DEMOCRACY THERE, AND 
THAT THE PNA SHOULD BE REFORMED THROUGH ISRAELI TANKS 
AND ARTILLERY." 
GNEHM