US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2035

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/PA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPAO, JO, IZ 
SUBJECT: JORDAN MEDIA PLAYS UP GOJ DEMARCHE AGAINST THE WAR 
 
REF: A. (A) AMMAN 2029 
 
     B. (B) AMMAN 1954 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR EDWARD W. GNEHM FOR REASONS 1.5 (B), (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  ROUNDING OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S THREE-DAY 
EFFORT TO ALIGN ITS PUBLIC STANCE MORE CLOSELY WITH THE 
FEELINGS OF AN ANGRY NATION, JORDAN'S STATE-OWNED AND 
INFLUENCED MEDIA APRIL 4 PLAYED UP THE PM'S CONVOKING OF THE 
AMBASSADOR AS EVIDENCE THAT THE GOJ IS TAKING TANGIBLE AND 
MEANINGFUL STEPS TO TRANSLATE INTO ACTION THE PEOPLE'S 
OPPOSITION TO THE WAR.  DICTATING A COMMON SCRIPT, OFFICIAL 
EDITORIALS IN JORDAN'S TOP TWO CIRCULATION ARABIC DAILIES 
LINKED THE KING'S APRIL 2 DENUNCIATIONS OF THE WAR IN AN 
INTERVIEW WITH THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED PETRA NEWS AGENCY AND THE 
PM'S MESSAGE TO THE AMBASSADOR AS EXPRESSION AND 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S OPPOSITION TO THE WAR AND 
CONCERN OVER THE WELFARE OF IRAQI CIVILIANS.  THESE 
EDITORIALS ALSO INCLUDE HARSH CRITICISM FOR "THOSE WHO WOULD 
CREATE WORTHLESS NOISE" ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON 
THE WAR, A DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE PUBLIC CHALLENGE TO THE 
KING IN A LETTER SIGNED BY 99 NOTABLE JORDANIANS PUBLISHED 
MARCH 31 IN THE JORDANIAN PRESS.  FORTUITOUSLY, LOCAL 
REPORTING ON TEH EVENT ALSO HIGHLIGHTED AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS 
TO THE PRESS EXPRESSING A COMMON CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF 
IRAQI CIVILIANS AND A COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN THAT CONCERN 
EVEN AS WE PURSUE THE OBJECTIVE OF REMOVING THE BAATHIST 
REGIME.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) JORDAN'S ARABIC DAILIES ON APRIL 4 LED WITH REPORTING 
ON YESTERDAY'S CONVOKING OF THE AMBASSADOR BY THE PRIME 
MINISTER (REF A).  IN TEXT PREPARED BY THE GOVERNMENT NEWS 
AGENCY, PAPERS REPORTED THAT THE PM SUMMONED THE AMBASSADOR 
AND "EXPRESSED TO HIM THE DENUNCIATION OF THE GOVERNMENT AND 
PEOPLE OF JORDAN OF THE ESCALATING DESTRUCTION AND KILLING 
RESULTING FROM THE INVASION OF IRAQ" AND THAT THE PM "HELD 
THE AMERICAN AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS IN IRAQ."  THESE STORIES ALSO CARRIED 
REMARKS OF THE AMBASSADOR, DELIVERED TO THE PRESS OUTSIDE THE 
PRIME MINISTRY FOLLOWING THE MEETING, EXPRESSING THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT'S SHARED CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF CIVILIANS IN 
IRAQ AND ADDING THAT THE COALITION WAS TAKING ALL POSSIBLE 
MEASURES TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF THE FIGHTING ON THE 
CIVILIAN POPULATION AND WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO EVEN AS WE 
PURSUED THE OBJECTIVE OF REMOVING THE BAATHIST REGIME FROM 
POWER.  THE AMBASSADOR IS ALSO QUOTED, IN RESPONSE TO A 
QUESTION ABOUT THE STATE OF U.S.-JORDANIAN RELATIONS, AS 
SAYING THAT U.S.-JORDANIAN RELATIONS REMAIN EXTREMELY CLOSE 
ON A VARIETY OF LEVELS, AND THAT WHILE DISAGREEMENTS MAY 
OCCUR, THE TWO NATIONS SHARE A COMMON CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE 
OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND WILL WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT 
THEIR HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ARE MET. 
 
3. (U) EDITORIALS IN JORDAN'S TWO LEADING ARABIC DAILIES (AL 
RA'I AND AL DUSTOOR, GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AND INFLUENCED, 
RESPECTIVELY) FOCUSED ON THE MEETING AS EVIDENCE THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THE VIEWS OF THE KING IN 
OPPOSITION TO THE WAR AS EXPRESSED A DAY EARLIER IN AN 
INTERVIEW WITH THE STATE-RUN NEWS AGENCY, PETRA.  UNDER THE 
TITLE, "JORDAN BETWEEN STANCE AND ACTION", AL DUSTOOR'S APRIL 
4 EDITORIAL READS: "TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER THE CLEAR 
DENUNCIATION OF THE AMERICAN AND BRITISH INVASION OF IRAQ, AS 
EXPRESSED BY HM ABDULLAH THE SECOND, COMES THE SUMMONING BY 
THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR, A PRACTICAL 
STEP THAT TRANSLATES THE NATIONALIST, PAN-ARAB AND 
HUMANITARIAN POSITION OF JORDAN TOWARD BROTHERLY IRAQ, (AND 
THIS) DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT AND 
THE SENSITIVITY OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE COUNTRY THAT HAS 
SET DANGEROUS TERMS FOR ITS RELATIONS WITH OTHER STATES BASED 
ON THE PRINCIPLE 'YOU ARE EITHER WITH US OR AGAINST US.'" 
AND LATER, "THE KING'S REMARKS...HAVE SHOWN THE COURAGE OF A 
LEADER SPEAKING THE TRUTH...SUMMONING THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO 
STRONGLY PROTEST THE KILLING OF IRAQI CIVILIANS...IS, IN 
REALITY, THE FIRST POLITICAL MEASURE THAT AN ARAB COUNTRY 
DARES TO ADOPT, AND MAY EVEN BE THE FIRST GENUINE STAND 
ADOPTED BY A COUNTRY AT THE LEVEL OF THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY.  THIS POSITION IS NOT MERE RHETORIC AIMED AT 
AVOIDING ACTUAL DUTIES."  GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AL-RA'I 
ECHOED THIS LINE IN ITS EDITORIAL, AND ADDED A FEW BARBS FOR 
THOSE WHO SIGNED THE "LETTER OF THE 99":  "THE PRIME 
MINISTER'S SUMMONING OF THE U.S. AMBASSADOR IN AMMAN TO 
CONVEY TO HIM THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE'S DENUNCIATION...IS 
IN ITSELF A DUAL MESSAGE THAT MUST BE READ CAREFULLY BY ALL 
THOSE CONCERNED.  THE DENUNCIATION OF THE KILLING OF 
CIVILIANS IS MADE DIRECTLY TO THE AMBASSADOR WHOSE COUNTRY IS 
INVOLVED IN THE WAR AND WHOSE DUTY IT IS TO PROTECT INNOCENT 
CIVILIANS IN LINE WITH GENEVA CONVENTIONS.  ON THE OTHER 
HAND, IT IS A MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO ARE FILLING THE AIR WITH 
NOISE AND MEDIA STATEMENTS THAT HAVE NO VALUE OR WORTH ON THE 
GROUND." 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
4. (C) THE GOVERMENT PLAYED OUT THIS THREE-ACT PERFORMANCE IN 
ORDER TO ALIGN MORE CLOSELY ITS PUBLIC STANCE WITH THE ANGER 
AND DISSATISFACTION OF THE PEOPLE, AND AS A RESPONSE TO THE 
LETTER CHALLENGING ITS POSITIONS RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC 
EARLIER IN THE WEEK (REF B).  WHETHER ALL THIS WILL DO THE 
TRICK REMAINS TO BE SEEN.  MIXED IN WITH THIS ANGER AND 
DISSATISFACTION IS A DEEP SKEPTICISM AMONG JORDANIANS ABOUT 
GOVERNMENT DECLARATIONS, PARTICULARLY AS MORE AND MORE 
JORDANIANS ARE CONVINCED THAT THEIR GOVERNMENT HAS ASSISTED 
THE U.S. IN THE WAR.  THE EXERCISE PLAYED OUT OVER THE COURSE 
OF THIS WEEK POINTS TO A FUTURE OF CONSIDERABLE CHALLENGE TO 
THE GOVERNMENT WHEN THE WAR CONCLUDES AND THE PEOPLE TAKE 
STOCK OF THEIR GOVERNMENT'S TRUE ROLE IN IT. 
 
GNEHM