US embassy cable - 02AMMAN4244

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004244 
 
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 KING'S ASPEN SPEECH, 
U.S. REGIONAL POLICY 
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 31 ALL LED WITH KING 
ABDULLAH'S SPEECH AT ASPEN, BUT NOT HIS MEETING WITH 
ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES.  REPORTS ALSO 
INCLUDED THE PALESTINIAN "COMMANDO" OPERATIONS AND THE 
ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE TO IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF THE 
U.S. ABROAD. 
 
MANY EDITORIAL WRITERS PRAISED THE KING'S "UNEQUIVOCAL 
DEFENSE OF THE NATION'S INTERESTS," WHILE OTHERS DEALT 
CRITICALLY WITH DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF U.S. POLICY IN THE 
REGION. 
 
 
NEWS REPORTS 
 
ALL JORDANIAN DAILIES ON JULY 31 REPORTED PROMINENTLY 
KING ABDULLAH'S SPEECH AT ASPEN, BUT NOT HIS MEETING 
WITH ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SHIMON PERES.  DAILIES 
HIGHLIGHTED TWO ELEMENTS FROM THE SPEECH: THAT IT IS 
TIME TO ESTABLISH JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR THE PALESTINIAN 
AND ISRAELI PEOPLE, AND THAT THE ARABS' CONFIDENCE IN 
THE INFLUENCE OF THE U.S. IS LOW. 
 
DAILIES ALSO REPORTED THE PALESTINIAN "COMMANDO" 
OPERATIONS, IN WHICH "TWO MARTYRS" FELL. 
 
SEMI-OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI WAS THE 
ONLY DAILY TO QUOTE THE WASHINGTON POST'S ARTICLE 
CLAIMING THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAS DECIDED TO OPEN AN 
OFFICE "TO IMPROVE AMERICA'S IMAGE ABROAD." 
 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARIES 
 
-- A VOICE OF MODERATION 
THE LEADER COMMENTARY IN CENTRIST, INFLUENTIAL AMONG 
THE ELITE ENGLISH DAILY JORDAN TIMES ON JULY 31 READ: 
"DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UN AND IRAQ IS THE KEY TO 
RESOLVING THE CONFLICT WITH IRAQ.  WAR MUST NOT BE AN 
OPTION.  HARDLINERS IN THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION WHO ARE 
PROMOTING THE MILITARY APPROACH ARE OFFERING A RECIPE 
FOR DISASTER.  THE KING WILL BE PRESENTING SOLID VIEWS 
ON HOW TO PEACEFULLY RESOLVE THE TWO MOST EXPLOSIVE 
ISSUES IN THE REGION.  THEY ARE ARGUMENTS THAT THE U.S. 
PRESIDENT WOULD DO WELL TO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY." 
 
-- IRAN AND SYRIA NEXT 
PROMINENT DAILY COLUMNIST URAIB AL-RANTAWI WROTE IN 
CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON 
JULY 31: "THE HAWKISH CURRENTS IN WASHINGTON AND TEL 
AVIV NO DO NOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT SYRIA AND 
IRAN MAY BE AT THE TOP OF THE AMERICAN/ ISRAELI WAR 
AGENDA AFTER IRAQ.  IN FACT, THERE IS ALREADY TALK 
WITHIN THESE CURRENTS ABOUT A `MULTI-TRACK WAR.'  IT 
WOULD APPEAR THAT WASHINGTON'S HAWKS HAVE REACHED THE 
CONCLUSION THAT ISRAEL'S DIRECT ENTRY INTO FUTURE WARS 
IS NO LONGER A BARRIER AGAINST THE DECISION TO WAGE 
WAR.  IF THIS PESSIMISTIC SCENARIO COMES TRUE THEN THE 
RESHUFFLING OF CARDS TOWARDS CHAOS WILL BE COMPLETE AND 
THE REGION WILL TRULY JUMP INTO THE UNKNOWN." 
 
-- REFORMING THE AMERICAN "AUTHORITY" 
COLUMNIST USAMA AL-SHARIF WROTE IN CENTER-LEFT, 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR ON JULY 31: "THE 
AMERICAN PRESS NOW WAILS ABOUT THE NEED FOR TOTAL 
REFORM IN CONGRESS, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND WALL STREET 
BEFORE THE ECONOMY COLLAPSES TOTALLY.  BUT PRESIDENT 
BUSH DOES NOT SEEM TO TAKE THESE DEMANDS SERIOUSLY 
BECAUSE HE IS OBSESSED WITH FIGHTING TERRORISM AND 
CONVERTING HIS COUNTRY INTO AN IMPREGNABLE FORTRESS. IN 
FACT, HE IS BEHAVING LIKE A HIJACKER WHO IS PILOTING 
HIS HIJACKED AIRPLANE DELIBERATELY TO CRASH IT AGAINST 
THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY.  INTERESTINGLY, ARAFAT CAN 
TODAY VINDICATE HIMSELF BY ASKING MR. BUSH TO PUT HIS 
OWN HOUSE IN ORDER BEFORE ADDRESSING ADVICE ABOUT 
REFORMING THE PNA."  GNEHM