US embassy cable - 02AMMAN4217

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004217 
 
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 IRAQ AND T OCCUPIED 
TERRITORIES 
 
SUMMARY 
 
JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 30 WERE DOMINATED BY KING 
ABDULLAH'S INTERVIEW WITH THE TIMES AND HIS MEETING 
WITH PRIME MINSTER TONY BLAIR, IN WHICH HE COMMENTED ON 
IRAQ AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. 
 
EDITORIAL WRITERS COMMENTED ON A NUMBER OF DOMESTIC 
ISSUES.  THE MOST IMPORTANT THEME WAS PRAISE FOR THE 
KING'S STATEMENTS ON IRAQ. 
 
 
NEWS REPORTS 
 
JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 30 WERE DOMINATED BY KING 
ABDULLAH'S MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINSTER OF BRITAIN 
AND HIS INTERVIEW WITH THE TIMES, IN WHICH HE ADDRESSED 
THE SITUATION IN IRAQ AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. 
DAILIES HIGHLIGHTED THE FOLLOWING QUOTES: 
PRINCE HASSAN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE IRAQI OPPOSITION 
MEETING WAS A GROSS ERROR, AND WE ARE WORKING TO 
RECTIFY THE SITUATION. 
JORDAN WOULD NOT BE THE LAUNCHING GROUND FOR ANY 
AMERICAN OPERATIONS. 
IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO TARGET THE LEADERSHIP PF ANY 
COUNTRY. 
JORDAN WARNS AGAINST A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE IN THE 
OCCUPIED TERRITORIES, AND AGAINST ATTACKING IRAQ. 
SECRETARY POWELL UNDERSTANDS THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM 
 
SIPDIS 
AND HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE A 
MAJOR LOSS. 
[AHMAD] JALABI IS WANTED IN JORDAN FOR EMBEZZLING FUNDS 
FROM A JORDANIAN BANK. 
 
DAILIES ALSO REPORTED THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE THAT 
SPOKE OF AN AMERICAN PLAN TO STRIKE BAGHDAD FIRST. 
 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES 
 
-- THE KING'S ANSWERS 
DAILY COLUMNIST BASSEM SAKEJHA WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT, 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 30: 
"JORDAN'S POSITION REGARDING REGIONAL ISSUES NEEDS TO 
BE THE CLEAREST, AND IT APPEARS THAT THE KING, IN HIS 
CNN INTERVIEW, ADDRESSED EACH OF THE TRIAL BALLOONS 
RECENTLY LAUNCHED REGARDING A JORDANIAN ROLE IN THE 
PALESTINIAN PROBLEM AND ANOTHER IN A U.S. AGGRESSION 
AGAINST IRAQ.  DESPITE ENORMOUS PRESSURE THAT STARTED 
WITH LEAKS TOP THE MEDIA AND REACHED THE LEVEL OF 
HINTING AT A NEW SIEGE OF AQABA, THE ROYAL POSITION IS 
CLEAR AND FORTHRIGHT.  ALL JORDANIANS FEEL PROUD OF THE 
KING WHO SPOKE IN THEIR NAMES, AND THAT THEIR COUNTRY 
WOULD NOT BE DRAGGED INTO A GAME THAT THEY WOULD NOT 
ACCEPT, AND THAT IS OPPOSED TO THEIR NATIONALIST 
OUTLOOKS." 
 
-- THE KING'S INTERVIEW WITH CNN 
DAILY COLUMNIST MAZEN AL-SAKET WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT, 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 30: "IT IS 
OUR DUTY TO TAKE NOTE OF THE FORTHRIGHTNESS AND CLARITY 
WITH WHICH THE KING EXPRESSED HIMSELF ON THE TWO MOST 
IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT OCCUPY JORDANIAN PUBLIC OPINION. 
THESE ISSUES REPRESENT JORDAN'S NATIONALIST OUTLOOK 
REGARDING THE CHALLENGES THAT FACE OUR NATION AND THAT 
THREATEN THE REGION'S SECURITY AND STABILITY.  ONLY 
THIS POSITION THAT EXPRESSES JORDAN'S POPULAR AS WELL 
AS OFFICIAL VIEWPOINTS CAN MAKE US FACE THESE 
CHALLENGES AND DANGERS SUCCESSFULLY." 
 
-- HAS JORDANIAN DIPLOMACY MENDED THE DAMAGE DONE BY 
THE PRINCE'S PARTICIPATION [IN ET IRAQI OPPOSITION 
MEETING]? 
IMPORTANT COLUMNIST SAMIH AL-MA'AYTAH WROTE IN SEMI- 
OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON JULY 30: 
"HIS MAJESTY THE KING SPOKE ACCURATELY WHEN HE 
DESCRIBED THE PRINCE'S MOVE AS A GROSS ERROR BECAUSE 
THAT STEP CAUSED CONSIDERABLE POLITICAL DAMAGE TO 
JORDAN AND ITS LEADERSHIP FAR BEYOND THE PRINCE'S 
JUSTIFICATION THAT IT WAS A PERSONAL DECISION.  THE 
PRINCE FORGOT THAT HIS MOVE WAS CONSIDERED AS COMING 
FORM THE JORDANIAN LEADERSHIP, WHICH NEEDED TO EXERT 
CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS TO PERSUADE FRIENDS AND BROTHERS 
THAT IT WAS NOT A PARTNER IN THIS POLITICAL STEP.  ALL 
ARABS SHOULD REALIZE THAT THEY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO 
CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE TO TAKE PART IN THE AGGRESSION 
AGAINST IRAQ, AND THAT THE PROPER NATIONALIST POSITION 
WOULD BE IN A COLLECTIVE STAND TO RESIST THESE 
PRESSURES. WE HOPE THAT WE SHALL SEE SUCH A COLLECTIVE 
STAND INSTEAD OF THE USUAL ARAB BEHAVIOR OF SNEAKING TO 
THE AMERICANS INDIVIDUALLY AND IN SECRET."  GNEHM