US embassy cable - 05AMMAN6350

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006350 
 
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 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON MIDDLE EAST 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- The lead story in all papers today, August 8, 
focuses on King Abdullah's visit to the region of 
Ma'an in the south of Jordan and the people's 
demonstration of "love and loyalty" for the King.  All 
major front-page stories today focus on domestic 
issues, such as the government's decision to lift 
custom duties on sugar and the Prime Minister's 
encouragement of local industries to establish a sugar 
refinery in Jordan.  Some papers highlight the New 
York Times article about the "secret" plan to start 
withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "What comes after the end of the American reform 
project?" 
 
Columnist Malek Athamneh writes on the op-ed page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(08/08):  "The American project [for reform in the 
Middle East] was never really a project in that sense 
of the word.  It did not have a real ideology that 
stems from a living reality and facts on the ground, 
but rather it was an echo of American illusions 
brought forth by American campaigning.  The American 
project for reform is over, but what it has left 
behind is far from over.  New developments in the 
region require a new vision with new ideas.  The 
Americans, more than anyone, are not nave, and as 
such they must no doubt already be thinking of a new 
project with new foundations that would serve their 
interests.  The important thing is that we, in our 
turn, must prepare for genuine reform projects.  The 
failure of the American reform project does not mean 
that we do not need reform, and while reform is not an 
American objective in itself, it is a need imposed by 
the inevitability of the natural evolution of human 
societies..  Arab regimes have long been accused of 
being isolated from the reality of their societies, 
and they are required, for their own good, to bridge 
the gap that exists within these societies.  This does 
not require American bridges.  All it needs is for 
these regimes to extend a hand to their societies." 
 
-- "John Bolton is America's gift to a world that is 
burning" 
 
Columnist Lamis Andoni writes on the op-ed page of 
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (08/08):  "The 
current analysis says that the U.S. foreign policy and 
not [John] Bolton's ideas will be the deciding factor 
in his performance as the U.S. representative to the 
United Nations.  Yet, Bolton's ideas are not 
individual ideas, but rather spring from the neo- 
conservative institution that controls the Bush 
administration and that has given him the green light 
to implement his organized mission of destruction of 
international charters and agreements..  From the U.S. 
viewpoint, Bolton completed his previous tasks very 
successfully, since he achieved so much in the area of 
removing the obstacles and the hurdles that stood in 
the path of America's objective of preventing the 
arming of unfriendly countries while the United States 
liberated its allies from all constraints.  The 
question that must be asked is why would America need 
such rudeness and aggressiveness against the United 
Nations and international institutions, particularly 
when these institutions have proven helpless in 
stopping any American project.  The answer is not 
difficult.  The U.S. strategy does not look at the 
present only, but also the far future.  Removing all 
obstacles standing in the way of U.S. policy, 
particularly proving its solo role in the world, is 
part of its long-term strategy of preventing the rise 
of any other competitive power for decades to come. 
In view of this strategy, the existence of the United 
Nations, even if it is under the control of the sole 
political and military superpower, as well as the 
continued presence of international charters, is 
viewed as available means that could be used by rising 
powers, foremost China, to challenge U.S. influence in 
the future..  If Bolton's appointment to the United 
Nations is America's message to the world of the 
process of officially terminating U.N. decisions and 
tasks, the message that is sent to the United Nations 
by way of the appointment is even more serious.  This 
is because appointing an enemy of the United Nations 
to represent the United States therein, which 
essentially means a declaration of organized sabotage 
inside the United Nations, marks an unprecedented step 
to entrench the beliefs of extremist American right 
wing that considers the United Nations an enemy and a 
threat to the American identity." 
HALE