US embassy cable - 02AMMAN4138

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004138 
 
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 GAZA BOMBING RAID 
 
SUMMARY 
 
JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 25 CONTINUED TO BE DOMINATED 
BY THE RAID ON GAZA.  SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC 
DAILY AL-RAI REPORTED CONSERVATIVELY THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL SESSION, WHILE OTHER DAILIES CARRIED PHOTOS OF 
SLAIN CHILDREN BEING PULLED FROM UNDER THE RUBBLE, 
UNDER THE HEADLINE: "AMERICAN OPPOSES ANY INTERNATIONAL 
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE GAZA MASSACRE." 
 
COLUMNS OF A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT DAILY EDITORIALISTS 
DID NOT APPEAR TODAY.  THOSE THAT DID ATTACKED THE 
"MASSACRE" AND THE U.S. POSITION REGARDING IT, AND 
DEBATED WHETHER THE CORRECT PALESTINIAN RESPONSE WOULD 
BE REVENGE OR CALM. 
 
 
NEWS REPORTS 
 
THE CALL FOR A SECURITY COUNCIL EMERGENCY SESSION TO 
DISCUSS THE GAZA RAID OCCUPIED THE LEAD SPACE ON ALL 
JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 25.  WHILE AL-RAI REPORTED 
CONSERVATIVELY: "EMERGENCY SESSION TO DISCUSS THE GAZA 
MASSACRE," OTHER DAILIES CARRIED GRUESOME PHOTOS OF 
SLAIN CHILDREN BEING PULLED FROM UNDER THE RUBBLE, 
UNDER THE HEADLINE: "THE U.S. OPPOSES ANY INTERNATIONAL 
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE MASSACRE." 
 
CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR AND 
INDEPENDENT, MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM 
REPORTED THE DEMONSTRATION THAT TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY 
BEFORE THE UN BUILDING IN PROTEST AGAINST "THE MASSACRE 
AND INTERNATIONAL SILENCE REGARDING IT." 
 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES 
 
-- TAKING THE ARAB MIND LIGHTLY 
FORMER SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE 
MOHAMMAD NAJI AMAYREH WROTE IN SEMI-OFFICIAL 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 25: "WORDS 
ABOUT PEACE, SECURITY, AND STABILITY HAVE NOT BROUGHT 
FOOD TO THE HUNGRY, NOR BROUGHT US PEACE NOR STABILITY. 
TILL WHEN WILL WE HIDE BEHIND SLOGANS OF DEVELOPMENT, 
STABILITY AND INVESTMENTS?  EVEN IF WE WERE TO ACHIEVE 
THOSE, THEY WILL ONLY BE DESTROYED BY THE ISRAELI 
MILITARY MACHINE THAT IS SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. ARSENAL 
AND NEW WORLD ORDER. THE F-16S THAT THAT BOMB 
RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN PALESTINE ARE THE SAME THAT BOMB 
IRAQ.  BOTH KILL CHILDREN, WOMEN, AND OLD MEN.  THE 
DESTRUCTION OF THE ARAB WORLD AIMS AT ALL ARABS." 
 
-- QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MASSACRE 
DAILY COLUMNIST YASSER ZA'ATREH WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT, 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 25: "SHARON 
DID NOT COMMIT THE MASSACRE BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID OF 
THE POLITICAL PROCESS AS SOME CLAIM, BECAUSE THE VISION 
OF BUSH IS THE SAME AS THAT OF SHARON, WHOSE PROGRAM 
SINCE ASSUMING POWER HAS NOT BEEN A SECRET. 
FURTHERMORE, SHEIKH YASSIN'S OFFER CAME IN ORDER TO 
AVOID A CLASH WITH THE PNA, NOT TO GIVE A CHANCE TO THE 
PEACE PROCESS, BECAUSE THE CONDITION THAT ISRAEL SHOULD 
STOP KILLING PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS AND WITHDRAW FROM 
PALESTINIAN CITIES WOULD NEVER BE ACCEPTED BY SHARON 
AND BUSH. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE MASSACRE IS TO BREAK THE 
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AND PEOPLE AND IMPOSE A 
HUMILIATING SETTLEMENT ON THEM.  THE CORRECT RESPONSE 
TO SHARON'S LOGIC IS TO ESCALATE RESISTANCE OPERATIONS 
AND DEPRIVE HIM OF THE CHANCE TO BRAG THAT HE HAS 
BROKEN THE PALESTINIAN WILL." 
 
-- THE GAZA CRIME - THE HARDER OPTION 
DAILY COLUMNIST URAIB AL-RANTAWI WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT, 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 25: "THE 
CHANGE IN INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDES TO ISRAEL CAME AT A 
HIGH PRICE IN PALESTINIAN BLOOD, AND FOR THIS REASON 
THE PALESTINIANS SHOULD NOT LET THIS BLOOD BE SHED IN 
VAIN.  THE MOST OBVIOUS RESPONSE WOULD BE REVENGE, 
WHICH WOULD BE PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE.  BUT THE HARDER 
OPTION WOULD BE TO BEHAVE WISELY AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH 
OUR INTERESTS.  ANYONE WHO DOUBTS THIS SHOULD REMEMBER 
THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ASSASSINATION OF THE RACIST 
LEADER REHAVAM ZEEVI."  GNEHM