US embassy cable - 02AMMAN4401

UNCLAS AMMAN 004401 
 
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 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
USCINCCENT//CCPA, USCENTCOM REAR MACDILL AFB FL 
STATE PASS TO AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, August 7, focuses 
on King Abdullah's meetings with the Iraq and Turkish 
foreign ministers in Amman yesterday regarding 
developments on the Iraq and Palestinian scenes. 
Major commentaries today regard the developments on 
the Iraqi scene, arguing that, while Iraq is extending 
a hand for reconciliation, the United States is 
illogically calling for war. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "America is isolating itself" 
 
Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/07) editorializes:  "The United States continues 
its blatant threats of a military blow against Iraq, 
in a manner that seems to be out of swing from the 
growing international consensus against such an 
American action, that completely lacks international 
legitimacy.  We realize that America's intentions of 
dealing an aggressive blow to Iraq are very serious 
indeed, but we also understand that the U.S. 
administration's lack of international consensus and 
Arab agreement for such a blow is going to disarm 
Washington of one of the most important weapons, 
namely the moral and legal basis for using 
unjustifiable force against a small and besieged 
country to oust its ruling regime." 
 
-- "Iraq and reconciliation" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/07):  "The U.S. nervous reaction to and rejection 
of Iraq's invitation to the head of the inspectors to 
visit Baghdad proves yet again that Washington is not 
interested in the issue of the inspections or any 
other issues used as pretexts for striking Iraq.  It 
only wants to change the ruling regime and deal the 
military blow in order to have control over Iraq's oil 
resources.  The Iraqi invitation is very smart.  It 
has uncovered the true nature of the U.S. stand and 
has provided Iraq's friends and allies with a new 
opportunity to maneuver and pull the rug from under 
the feet of the Americans.  Iraq's moves deserve all 
the support they can get from the Arab world.  What is 
also required are Iraqi steps towards the Iraqi people 
themselves in order to pull the rug from the feet of 
the Americanized Iraqi opposition." 
 
-- "Iraq's desire to hold a dialogue" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(08/07):  "Through a number of initiatives, including 
the most recent invitations to the chief inspector and 
the U.S. congress to visit Iraq, the Iraqis are 
confirming their desire to hold a dialogue and find a 
way out of the crisis between Iraq and the United 
States.  But, when it comes to Baghdad, Washington is 
thinking in terms of force.  This is the root of the 
problem that threatens the Middle East with another 
disaster." 
GNEHM