US embassy cable - 02AMMAN4652

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 004652 
 
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 U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
Lead story in all papers today, August 19, highlights 
the beginning of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and 
Bethlehem.  Front-page wire-service reports quote the 
Israeli Ministry of Defense, following a security 
meeting with the Palestinians, as saying that the 
implementation of "Gaza First" plan will commence 
August 19.  Both Al-Arab Al-Yawm and Al-Dustour Arabic 
dailies carry wire service reports citing former U.S. 
Secretary of State Eagleburger's "objection" to an 
 
SIPDIS 
American "intervention" in Iraq "now".  These reports 
are carried under the headline claiming an American 
campaign to "invent" justifications for an attack on 
Iraq.  Editorial commentaries principally dealt with 
developments in Arab-American relations, with 
commentators feeding the growing perception that the 
goals of the U.S. war on terrorism are shifting to a 
broader offensive against all Arab regimes.  At the 
same time, one influential columnist sought to put in 
perspective the outcry over the U.S. reaction to the 
Saad Eddin Ibrahim case by pointing out that a 
nation's decision to withhold assistance can hardly be 
termed "intervention".  True intervention, he 
continued, is what America is doing in Iraq. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Reviewing Arab-American relations" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(08/19):  "The `war on terrorism' that the Bush 
administration announced is shifting away from its 
original objectives of pursuing Al-Qa'eda and moving 
towards pursuing Arab regimes without discrimination. 
Day in and day out, it becomes clear that the Iraqi 
regime is not the only target in this war on 
terrorism.  There are targets that are being created 
in the Arab world by the warmongers in the Pentagon. 
Would that these developments push the Arab countries 
towards an organized and responsible reassessment of 
Arab-American relations before the iron gets too hot." 
 
-- "A new form of international relations" 
 
Daily columnist Mazen Saket writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/19):  "The American war against terrorism is 
expanding in our Arab region and is turning into an 
attack against all those who disagree with the United 
States and fail to do its bidding.  The media campaign 
against Saudi Arabia continues . and political and 
economic pressures against Egypt increase.  We can 
almost be certain that the U.S. plans for and 
pressures on the countries of this region are behind 
the recent media campaign against Jordan.  It is an 
America campaign that seeks to force moderate 
political regimes to go along with American schemes 
and even take part in them.  To oppose a military 
strike against Iraq and criticize the U.S. policy in 
favor of Israel's aggressiveness and expansionism is 
enough for the U.S. administration to consider those 
countries and regimes as targets for political, 
economic and media pressure campaigns.  The U.S. 
administration's new form of relations with the Arabs 
is not a reaction to the September 11 attacks, nor is 
it a defense of American interests or a war against 
terrorism and extremism; it is a return to 
colonization." 
 
-- "American intervention in Egypt and Iraq" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i 
(08/19):  "The Egyptian opposition criticized American 
intervention in Egypt's domestic affairs, but said 
nothing about the American intervention in Iraq's 
domestic issues.  This `intervention' [in Egypt] is 
theoretical and is not borne out by proof on the 
ground.  There is no `additional' assistance for Egypt 
simply awaiting the President's approval.  On the 
contrary, there has been talk for years about 
decreasing U.S. assistance to Egypt and Israel.  In 
addition, not giving further assistance can hardly be 
considered intervening in (another country's) domestic 
issues.  The U.S. government is free to do what it 
feels like with its taxpayers' money.  The countries 
that receive this assistance know that such assistance 
depends on the donor countries' approval of their 
conduct.  Even the nature of the American 
`intervention' is not clear.  The human rights 
activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim is an American citizen 
after all, and as such, the United States must try to 
help him out.  The flagrant and blatant type of 
American intervention is the one that is happening in 
Iraq, [not Egypt]."  BERRY