US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1716

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001716 
 
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 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON WAR IN IRAQ 
 
 
NEWS REPORTS 
NEWS ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ DOMINATED JORDAN'S DAILIES 
ON SATURDAY MARCH 22.  THE MAIN ELEMENTS WERE THE 
FOLLOWING: 
 
-- THE START AND PROGRESS OF THE "PRINCIPAL AIR AND 
LAND ATTACK ON IRAQ," ACCORDING TO SEMI-OFFICIAL 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI AND CENTER-LEFT, 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-DUSTOUR, WHICH 
INDEPENDENT, MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM 
REFERRED TO AS: "BARBARIC BOMBING SETS BAGHDAD'S NIGHT 
ABLAZE." 
 
-- THE DEMONSTRATIONS IN JORDAN, WHICH RESULTED IN 
SOME INCIDENTS WITH THE POLICE IN AMMAN, WHEN 
DEMONSTRATORS CHANTED: "SO WHERE IS THE ARAB ARMY?" 
[THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE JORDANIAN ARMED FORCES,] AND 
IN THE TRIBAL CITY OF MA'AN.  THE KING GAVE AN ADDRESS 
IN WHICH ASSURED JORDANIANS THAT: "OUR SENTIMENTS ARE 
IDENTICAL TO YOURS" AND ENJOINED THEM TO EXPRESS THEIR 
SENTIMENTS IN A PEACEFUL AND CIVILIZED MANNER.  IN 
COVERING THE DEMONSTRATIONS, THE DAILIES USED THE TERM 
"AGGRESSION AGAINST IRAQ" IN DESCRIBING THE CONFLICT. 
 
-- THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS STATED THAT JORDAN 
HAS NOT RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE U.S. TO EXPEL 
IRAQI DIPLOMATS. 
 
-- THE REFUGEE CAMPS AT RUWEISHED, WHERE REFUGEES 
(NON-IRAQI ) PRAISED THE JORDANIAN AUTHORITIES FOR 
RECEIVING THEM. 
 
-- THE POSITIONS OF DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS, MAINLY 
THOSE OF FRANCE AND RUSSIA, AS WELL AS THE VATICAN. 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARY 
-- THE MOST DANGEROUS FOR WORLD PEACE 
LEADING DAILY COLUMNIST FAHED AL-FANEK WROTE IN SEMI- 
OFFICIAL INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON MARCH 22: 
"ALTHOUGH AMERICAN IMPERIALISM WAS AN ACCUSATION 
LEVELED AGAINST THE U.S. DURING THE COLD WAR, IT HAS 
NOW DEVELOPED INTO AN OPEN CALL BY THE NEO- 
CONSERVATIVES, WHO WANT THE U.S. TO TAKE THIS UNIQUE 
HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY FOR DOMINATING THE FIVE 
CONTINENTS WITH A MILLION-MAN ARMY, AND TO ASSUME THE 
RIGHT TO REPLACE REGIMES THAT IT DOES NOT LIKE, WITH 
LACKEYS.  THE WORLD, THEREFORE, STARTED TO SEE BUSH AS 
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN FOR WORLD PEACE, AND THE U.S. 
AS THE MOST DANGEROUS STATE TO WORLD PEACE.  EVENTS 
NOW PROVE THIS OUTLOOK." 
 
-- THE TRINITY OF LOBBIES IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION 
DAILY COLUMNIST MALIK ATHAMNEH WROTE IN SEMI-OFFICIAL 
INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI ON MARCH 22: "BUSH AND 
BIN LADEN ARE ALIKE ON ONE VERY CRUCIAL POINT, THEIR 
WILL TO DIVIDE THE WORLD INTO TWO CAMPS, 'WITH US AND 
AGAINST US.'  THIS LEAVES MOST OF US ON THE MARGIN OF 
EVENTS, IN THE EPICENTER OF CONFLICT.  THERE IS A 
DIABOLICAL ALLIANCE WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION COMPOSED 
OF THE TRINITY OF ZIONIST CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM, THE 
GIANT ECONOMIC LOBBY, AND THE EVER-PRESENT ZIONIST 
LOBBY THAT SERVES ONLY ISRAEL." 
 
-- OBSERVATIONS ON THE MARGIN OF STEADFASTNESS 
DAILY COLUMNIST NAHED HATTAR WROTE IN INDEPENDENT, 
MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM ON MARCH 22: 
"WHAT MATTERS NOW IS THAT THERE ARE MEN WHO ARE 
FIGHTING TO DEFEND THE TERRITORY, DIGNITY, AND FUTURE 
OF IRAQ AND ALL THE ARABS.  THE WILL TO FIGHT IS THE 
ONLY HOLY THING AT A HISTORIC MOMENT THAT WILL STAY 
WITH US FOR A LONG TIME YET.  THIS MESSAGE WILL NOT 
REACH THE AMERICANIZED AND RUSTY HEARTS AND MINDS OF 
THE PSEUDO-INTELLECTUALS WHO THEORIZE TO JUSTIFY 
SURRENDER AND SLAVERY, BUT IT HAS REACHED THE HEARTS 
AND MINDS OF THE CHILDREN OF EGYPT.  SO FAR THERE HAS 
NOT BEEN A SINGLE OFFICIAL CONDEMNATION OF THE 
AGGRESSION AGAINST IRAQ.  NOT A SINGLE CALL, OR AT 
LEAST A PLEA TO STOP THE MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST 
OUR BROTHERS.  NOT A SINGLE HINT THAT THE ANGLO- 
AMERICAN WAR ON IRAQ IS BEING CONDUCTED OUTSIDE 
INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY.  COULD WE NOT AT LEAST 
REGURGITATE THE DECLARATIONS OF THE ARAB SUMMIT AT 
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, WHICH WE APPROVED?" 
 
-- THE AGGRESSION HAS STARTED 
ATEF AL-JOLANI, CHIEF EDITOR OF ASSABEEL (INDEPENDENT 
WEEKLY REFLECTING THE VIEWS OF THE ISLAMIC ACTION 
FRONT) WROTE ON MARCH 22: "THE AGGRESSION HAS STARTED, 
AND THE RABID AMERICAN MISSILES WERE LAUNCHED AGAINST 
IRAQ, TO DESTROY IT AND KILL ITS PEOPLE BEFORE 
OCCUPYING IT.  THE IRAQI PEOPLE STAND ALONE FACING THE 
AGGRESSION, AND WE REGRET THAT WE CAN DO NOTHING BUT 
WATCH, OBSERVE, AND STAY MESMERIZED BEFORE SATELLITE 
TV STATIONS TO FOLLOW THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS OF THE 
AGGRESSION.  OF COURSE, ARAB LEADERS ARE IN THE SAME 
BOAT, EXCEPT THAT WE HOPE AND PRAY THAT BUSH AND BLAIR 
WILL PAY FOR THEIR WICKED DEEDS, WHILE OUR LEADERS 
HOPE AND PRAY THAT THE PROBLEM OF IRAQ WILL BE OUT OF 
THE WAY VERY SOON. GNEHM