US embassy cable - 05AMMAN6835

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006835 
 
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 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, August 24, 
continues to highlight developments in ongoing 
investigations of the attack on Aqaba.  Papers also 
continue to highlight issues related to the Iraqi 
constitution. 
 
-- "More dangerous than terrorism itself" 
 
Daily columnist and former Minister of Information 
Saleh Qallab writes on the back-page of semi-official, 
influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (08/24):  "The 
position adopted by the Islamic Action Front vis--vis 
the Aqaba crime, acquitting the terrorists of any 
responsibility ... and instead blaming the Americans 
and the Jordanian government, suggests that a review 
of the position of political Islam organizations and 
forces towards terrorist operations in general must be 
conducted....  Now that the issue is clear and it has 
been proven that the terrorists have actually 
slaughtered the image of Islam and distorted it, words 
like 'but' have no place, and holding Israel, the 
West, the United States, and 'unwise' governments 
responsible instead of the real culprit has become as 
good as taking part in the crime itself....  It is no 
longer acceptable that the position of political Islam 
forces be reflected in the portrayal of the crime of 
targeting a country as an individualistic crime while, 
at the same time, they continue to avoid condemning 
terrorism and continue to hold the traditional 
enemies, the United States and Israel, responsible. 
This is a clear political ploy and it is no longer 
possible to make people, like Jordanians, believe in 
it." 
 
-- "The withdrawal from Gaza" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back-page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(08/24):  It is not yet clear who is the winner and 
who is the loser from the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza 
and the pullout of Jewish settlers.  Sharon considers 
himself the winner because he achieved the plan that 
he talked about and worked on for the past two years. 
The Palestinian Authority considers itself the winner 
because the withdrawal from Gaza constitutes the 
beginning of a movement that cannot be stopped and 
will, sooner or later, include the West Bank.  Hamas 
considers itself the winner because the withdrawal 
took place as a result of the Palestinian resistance 
and not because of negotiations.  America considers 
itself the winner and wants to claim responsibility 
for this step that paves the way for a peaceful 
solution....  What determines whether the Israeli 
withdrawal from Gaza constitutes a victory or defeat 
for one party or another will depend on what happens 
after the withdrawal.  If Palestinian internal 
fighting over the authority breaks out, then Sharon 
would be the winner.  But if the Palestinians prove 
their worthiness of independence, then it would be a 
victory for them.  If America exercises more pressure 
on Israel leading to more withdrawals and pullouts, 
then America would be the winner, and if the 
Palestinian Authority fails to control Gaza from the 
security and political aspect, then Hamas would be the 
winner." 
 
-- "The dividing line" 
 
Chief Editor Ayman Safadi writes on the back-page of 
independent Arabic daily Al-Ghad (08/24):  "There is a 
difference between justifying these [terrorist] crimes 
and the attempt to explain and analyze them, but the 
dividing line between justifications and explanations 
is very thin, and crossing it constitutes indirect 
support for those who kill the innocent in all parts 
of the world, Jordan included.  It is time to develop 
a clear religious, philosophical, political, and 
humanitarian stand that condemns Al-Qaeda and its 
affiliates and all its actions and ideologies without 
attempting to justify them or link their actions with 
Arab and Muslim causes.  No doubt, policies adopted by 
the United States in the region were responsible for 
the suffering, the injustice, and the occupation in 
more than one Arab country, and no two can argue about 
Israel's responsibility for the tension borne from its 
illegal occupation of Palestine and other Arab lands. 
But Al-Qaeda is not serving legitimate Arab interests 
in Palestine, Iraq and elsewhere, and any attempt to 
link Al-Qaeda actions with just causes would only 
bring harm to these causes and serve the terrorists 
who take pride in killing a Jordanian soldier." 
 
-- "The programmed destruction of Iraq" 
 
Daily columnist Rakan Majali writes on the back-page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(08/24):  "It is no longer a secret for the Iraqis 
that the United States is doing everything it can to 
tear Iraq apart while, at the same time, it continues 
to hold on to a loose framework of contradictions and 
struggles within that create an internal Iraqi formula 
that, in the final analysis, makes the breakout of a 
civil war in Iraq unavoidable should the American 
forces pull out..  Some people believed that the 
destruction was related to the military operations 
that took place at the time of Iraq's occupation, but 
today it becomes clear that this destruction is a 
programmed strategy within a hatred-filled military, 
political, economic, cultural, and psychological war 
designed to destroy Iraq with the aim of controlling 
it and making it a model and lesson for others." 
 
-- "Iraq's fires are not an internal issue" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back-page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(08/24):  "There is a fire raging in Iraq and it is 
continuously growing.  It would be a mistake to give 
in to the idea that this country is the sole concern 
of the United States or the responsibility of the 
Green Zone government in Baghdad.  What is happening 
in this brotherly country constitutes a disengagement 
process for the state and the society..  Let us stop 
promoting or supporting the so-called political 
process in Iraq.  This process is not going to lead to 
security, stability, or peace.  It is just a scenario 
on which President Bush and the neo-conservatives are 
insisting in order to create a military and political 
entity based on sectarian and tribal militias with the 
aim of continuing the war on behalf of the Americans.. 
The Iraqi situation is no longer the sole concern of 
Bush and Blair or even Ja'fari.  It is a regional 
issue and a blazing fire that threatens to consume the 
entire region." 
HENZEL