US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1598

UNCLAS AMMAN 001598 
 
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: Jordan: Special media reaction on President's 
statement regarding the road map 
 
Though the major Arabic dailies led with President 
Bush's announcement about the roadmap along with the 
King's welcoming statement, commentaries were 
skeptical regarding U.S. intentions, implying that the 
President's statement was designed as a "tranquilizer" 
or "bribe" before the war on Iraq.  Of  the major 
papers only the English-language Jordan Times found 
positive elements in the announcement.   End summary. 
 
 
Reports 
On Saturday 15, all Jordanian dailies led with 
adjacent reports on the President's announcement 
regarding the road map, and on the King's statement 
welcoming the announcement.  The main stories were 
identical compilations from international news 
agencies, but center-left, influential Arabic daily Al- 
Dustour also carried the full text of the President's 
remarks, and the "full text of the road map." 
 
In Al-Rai, on Saturday 15, the "political editor" 
wrote that: "The King's efforts have resulted in the 
American commitment to peace and to the creation of a 
Palestinian state." 
 
On Sunday 16, veteran cartoonist Jalal Al-Rifai, in 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour, drew 
President Bush in full combat gear and shouldering a 
nuclear weapon, flicking a pill over his shoulder into 
the mouth of an elated Arab.  The pill is described 
as: "The Palestinian state tranquilizer pill." 
 
 
Commentaries 
 
--   "One meal after the 1991 meal and another before 
the 2003 meal" 
Prominent daily columnist Tariq Masarwah wrote in semi- 
official influential Arabic daily Al-Rai on Sunday 16: 
"Washington's reference to the road map, and London's 
insistence on it are meaningless.  They will have no 
effect either on the scandalous and immoral double 
standards or on the reaction of peoples who are angry 
at all the crimes being committed against them.  The 
promised Palestinian state, should it be established 
after realizing all the impossible preconditions, will 
be without frontiers, without people, without a 
capital, and without any direct contact between its 
parts." 
 
--   "The bribe of the road map" 
Daily columnist Yasser Za'atreh wrote in center-left, 
influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour on Sunday 16: "The 
American president might as well have kept his offer 
of a bribe, because it will only increase the hatred 
against America's arrogance.  At best, the road map 
can only gain minimal acceptance among the Palestinian 
public.  But after the Sharon-Bush amendments, it will 
be nothing but a surrender document. The promised 
Palestinian state, as defined by Sharon in his 
electoral campaign, is without borders, without 
control on its points of entry and egress, without the 
right of forming international agreements.  This, we 
are offered before the war on Iraq and the change of 
the map that Powell announced.  What the Sharon-Bush 
duo will offer us after the war remains to be seen." 
 
 
Under the title, "Better Late than Never," the Jordan 
Times main editorial noted that Jordanians heaved a 
"sigh of relief at hearing Bush reinforce his 
`personal' commitment to publishing the roadmap."  But 
it also criticized the implication that "the U.S., not 
the Quartet decides what to do with the roadmap; and 
that the U.S., not the Palestinians decides what 
powers their premier should have." 
GNEHM