US embassy cable - 02AMMAN6333

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 006333 
 
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 MURDER OF USAID'S LAURENCE 
FOLEY IN JORDAN 
 
                 Print Media Coverage 
 
-- The assassination of Laurence Foley dominated the 
Jordanian dailies on Tuesday October 29.  The stories 
included a strong condemnation of the act by the 
Minister of Information, and by Jordanian political 
parties, most notable among them the Islamic Action 
Front, and professional associations. 
 
Semi-official influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i devoted 
its entire front page to various reports on the story 
that highlighted the "soundness" of Jordan's security, 
and the satisfaction of the U.S. with Jordanian 
authorities' reaction to the assassination.  Headlines 
included: "U.S. Ambassador lauds the efficacy of 
Jordan's security measures;" "Gnehm affirms his 
confidence in Jordan's ability top protect diplomatic 
missions;" "U.S. Administration lauds the Jordanian 
authorities' cooperation;" "American citizens in 
Amman: This was an isolated incident."  In addition, 
the political editor wrote a piece in which he argued 
that: "Whoever killed Foley wanted to attack the 
Jordanian model of moderation and faithfulness to 
national strength.  The objectives of the crime go 
beyond the innocent American and touch every Jordanian 
in his security and livelihood." 
 
The centrist, influential among the elite English 
daily Jordan Times concentrated more on Foley's life, 
quoting as headline Ambassador Gnehm's description of 
the Foley as "A man dedicated to helping others." 
 
Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
reported the strong condemnations of the attack, which 
were the subject of its lead headline, but its 
coverage concentrated more on the details of the 
crime.  Elements of the report included interviews 
with the neighbors, who said that this might have been 
the work of a professional, and that Foley's two dogs 
did not bark at the assailant. It also reported 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's comment that the 
attacks in Moscow, Bali, and Amman are faces of the 
same terror. 
 
Independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al- 
Yawm's coverage resembled that of Al-Dustour, but 
included a prominent piece by Islamic writer Samih Al- 
Ma'aytah who wrote: "It would be unacceptable to 
hesitate in condemning such violence." 
 
              Jordan Television Coverage 
 
-- Jordan TV's main Arabic newscast at 8:00 p.m. on 
Monday, October 28 carried the assassination of Larry 
Foley in Amman as its first news report.  The 18- 
minute report included 4 minutes of condemnations 
expressed by the Minister of Information and 
representatives of various political parties and a 
local newspaper columnist Mr. Samih Ma'aytah from Al- 
Arab Al-Yawm.  The report then carried one and a half 
minutes featuring excerpts from Ambassador Gnehm's 
news conference held at the U.S. Embassy, with Arabic 
voice-over, focusing on the late Larry Foley's work 
within USAID and on the condolences the Embassy had 
received from the King and other Jordanian officials. 
A seven-minute feature then followed highlighting 
USAID programs in Jordan in the three main sectors, 
water, economy and health.  The feature included 
statements by the Minister of Water and Irrigation, 
the Minister of Health, and an official from the Aqaba 
Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) praising 
USAID's important developmental role in Jordan.  In 
studio and following the report, Minister of Planning 
Dr. Bassem Awadallah was interviewed live, where he 
offered his condolences and highly praised USAID's 
important role in the various development sectors in 
Jordan. 
 
--Jordan TV's English "News at Ten" on Monday, October 
28, carried a report similar to the one carried in the 
main Arabic newscast.  The 10 minute report included 3 
minutes of condemnations expressed by the Minister of 
Information and representatives of the Professional 
Associations Union, the Islamic Action Front and the 
Jordanian Communist Party; one and a half minutes from 
Ambassador Gnehm's news conference; followed by a 
three and a half minute feature in English 
highlighting USAID programs in Jordan.  Like the 
Arabic, the feature included footage of various USAID- 
funded projects in Jordan and statements by the 
Ministers and an ASEZA official 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "An attack on Jordan's image and reputation" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i 
(10/29):  "The assassination of the American diplomat 
yesterday morning in front of his house in the heart 
of Amman was not directed against America but against 
the image and reputation of Jordan as a country of 
security where foreigners need no guards to be safe. 
Every day, we criticize the U.S. policies in the 
region, particularly in as far as they are related to 
the blind bias in favor of Sharon's measures against 
the innocent Palestinian people, who have been 
struggling under the duress of the Israeli occupation 
for the past 35 years, as well as to siege imposed 
against the Iraqi people and threat to launch war 
against Iraq.  But, criticizing America's policies in 
one thing and assaulting the life of an American 
citizen is another.  The first is acceptable, but the 
second is terrorism to be rejected." 
 
-- "Terrorism will not scare and those who tamper with 
Jordan's security will pay" 
 
Semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Ra'i 
(10/29) editorializes:  "The ugly crime against the 
American diplomat yesterday revealed the black hatred 
and rage that the perpetrators of this crime have for 
Jordan, its security, its people and its active role 
in the region and in the international world.  These 
games and terrorist strikes will not affect us, will 
not terrorize us and will not make us change our path 
of supporting our nation's just causes, peace and 
dialogue." 
 
-- "Amman too" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(10/29):  "Terrorist military activity has never had 
any successes in Jordan, but this is maybe due to the 
fact that Jordan was never seriously targeted.  Under 
the current circumstances, it seems that Jordan has 
moved to that list of countries where the American and 
western presence would be targeted.  Assassinations 
seems to be the easiest to execute, and although we 
cannot conclude that the assassination is connected 
with Al-Qa'eda, the possibility cannot be ignored, and 
this in itself requires more vigilance." 
 
-- "An enemy of himself" 
 
Daily columnist Basem Sakijha writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(10/29):  "Those who shot the American diplomat 
yesterday did not help themselves and did not help our 
cause.  It is an act that perpetuates the image that 
everyone has of us [as Arabs and Muslims]; and an act 
that supports the American right-wing and the Zionist 
lobby in their campaign to defile our image and 
reputation." 
-- "A despicable crime and Jordan is the target" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(10/29):  "Jordan's national security and stability 
are the targets of such crimes.  Under no 
circumstances should there be justification or 
reasoning for not condemning such crimes, and we 
should not settle for one explanation or another to 
justify these crimes.  If we settle for this, then we 
would be justifying the fact that some people 
committed a murder like yesterday's, against an 
official who works for a developmental agency that has 
provided Jordan with millions of dollars over the 
years to upgrade less fortunate areas of the Kingdom." 
 
-- "Act of treachery" 
 
Centrist, influential among the elite English daily 
Jordan Times (10/29) editorializes:  "The 
assassination of a U.S. diplomat credited to Jordan 
yesterday morning is a despicable and cowardly act. 
Whoever is behind the killing aimed not only to take 
the life of an innocent person, one whose work here 
involved providing financial and economic assistance 
to the country, but also to discredit and destabilize 
the Kingdom.  The Kingdom has not and will not allow 
itself to be a sanctuary for those seeking to commit 
acts of violence against anyone, especially diplomats 
serving in Amman.  The people of the country must 
stand shoulder to shoulder with the government and all 
its agencies and security apparatuses in the search 
for the killer or killers and bring them to justice as 
a matter of highest priority." 
GNEHM