US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2179

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 002179 
 
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: MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQ 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, April 10, report 
on the fall of the Iraqi regime in Baghdad.  Subdued 
front-page headlines highlight the American forces' 
control over the Iraqi capital and the "puzzling" 
absence of Iraqi leadership figures.  Reports also 
focus on scenes of the Iraqi people's jubilation, 
looting, and demolishing of monuments of the Iraqi 
regime that took place in some Iraqi cities.  Front 
pages of two Arabic dailies carried the photo of 
Saddam Hussein's statue as it was draped with the 
American flag in Baghdad by U.S. soldiers.  All papers 
also highlight King Abdullah's call for a "national 
effort" to help the Iraqi people and to provide 
immediate medical and food assistance.  The editorial 
commentary today can be described as bewildered and 
bitter. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Why?" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(04/10):  "It might be too hard for the mind to 
function under these circumstances, and yet, the 
question that is asked by every Arab, the question 
that is addressed to all governments, politicians and 
regular citizens is this: why did the Iraqis prefer 
the occupation over staying under the authority of the 
regime?  It is a hard lesson that must be understood 
by some of the Arab regimes.  Managing a country with 
an iron fist and violating people's freedoms may give 
the impression of steadfast stability, but at the 
first challenge, the falseness goes away and the truth 
that the people are so far away from the regime and 
that their only hope is getting rid of the oppression, 
even through an occupier, becomes clear.  These are 
difficult times for the Arabs outside Iraq, those who 
are probably more shocked than the Iraqis themselves. 
This is because we were listening to fiery speeches 
and have failed to understand the reality of the Iraqi 
people's feelings and suffering..  The Iraqi feelings 
now are those of redemption and salvation, and as such 
are not logical.  The reality, however, is that of an 
occupation and that will take time to be absorbed by 
the Iraqis.  I wonder how they will deal with the 
American occupation presence in the days to come and 
how they will handle it when they find out that they 
were moved from a dictatorship to an occupation." 
 
-- "The surprise/the puzzle" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(04/10):  "By all standards, we view the `battle' of 
Baghdad as a puzzle and a surprise.  The battle, over 
which the whole world held its breath, did not happen, 
and the collapse was quick and horrific.  It may be a 
long time before we learn the facts of what went on.. 
If we had the courage, we would say that the final 
outcome of the war was expected from the beginning. 
We would also say that we had wished the war would 
have taken a different turn, for America's arrogance 
could only be broken by the strikes of the resistance 
and major losses.  And this, unfortunately, did not 
happen." 
 
-- "America bombs Palestine in Baghdad!" 
 
Daily columnist Hilmi Al-Asmar writes on the op-ed 
page of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al- 
Dustour (04/10):  "America and Israel alone are re- 
producing colonization in its original form, and alone 
maintain the most brutal of human heritage, namely the 
occupation..  America and Israel are two `states' 
whose laws are founded upon the concept of the 
`colonizer' that rejects human laws..  We, in Jordan, 
stand now between two Sharons, to the east and to the 
west, and thus must prepare for the worst, which is 
yet to come." 
 
-- "Between Gaza and Baghdad" 
 
Columnist Usama Sharif writes on the op-ed page of 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(04/10):  "Killing reporters on purpose to scare 
others and drive them away from Baghdad reminds us of 
Israel and its crimes in Palestine.  Yesterday, 
America committed a heinous crime against the media 
and this day should never be forgotten..  Between this 
occupation [U.S. occupation of Iraq] and that 
[Israel's occupation of Palestine], much blood is 
spilled, while mouths keep quiet, and we only see the 
desperate faces of leaders bragging about justice and 
freedom that they bring to whomever they choose and 
withhold from whomever they choose..  The Bush-Blair 
meeting in Northern Ireland is a new Yalta meeting 
that precedes a new Potsdam in Baghdad.  There were no 
Iraqis present at the meeting.  There was no need to 
bring in the Iraqis, for these are issues to be 
determined at a level higher than that of the people 
concerned.  I have never heard such nonsense as that 
being uttered by Blair and Bush.  What freedom, 
independence and justice is this?  The price of 
usurping Iraq is high.  Lives lost, money squandered 
and a campaign gone bad.  Where do they come up with 
this nonsense?  How did America and Britain become a 
new Israel?  How did America fall down this way and 
smeared itself with the blood of the innocent?  Is 
this the answer to the September 11 attacks?  Has the 
war machine vindicated itself by spilling the blood of 
the Iraqis?  America and Israel are equal now and the 
occupation in both cases is a sick impression of the 
downfall of civilization and morality.  May the 
Americans and the British enjoy this victory of 
theirs, for it shall be a crown of thorns that would 
bloody their foreheads.  In the heart of what is left 
of this nation boils a blind anger that would condemn 
to damnation everything around it and forebears a long- 
awaited volcano.  They have badly wounded Iraq, but 
they have not killed it.  History may do injustice to 
the victim but its legacy shall never have mercy on 
the executioner." 
 
-- "Is it a play?" 
 
Daily columnist Sultan Hattab writes on the op-ed page 
of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(04/10):  "Amman cried hard over what it witnessed. 
Amman cried over the fall of Baghdad as it did the 
fall of Jerusalem.  It has become our destiny to cry 
the fall of capitals, cities and dignity and to be 
shoved from one defeat to another.  The tragedy is 
repeated; one defeat after another; one treachery 
after another; one betrayal after another.  The 
invaders come across the seas to liberate, to rule, to 
divide and to impose a status quo.  It has reached the 
point where Arabs cannot differentiate between an 
occupation and a liberation.  The capital of the 
Abassid Caliphate is now in the hands of the soldiers 
and Baghdad sinks into occupation, as it did at the 
hands of Holako [emperor of the Mongols].  Tears and 
pain will do us no good, for these are the tears of 
the helpless and the pains of those suffering from 
defeat.  We used to believe that if a person believes 
in his homeland, he would not give up to the death. 
But is there anyone who believes in the homeland, or 
does the homeland become worthless when its people are 
turned into slaves?  Where is the Iraqi resistance? 
Where is the translation of all the words we have 
heard over the long years?  Where are the millions, 
the weapons, the slogans?  They have disappeared into 
thin air.  How does Jabalia [refugee camp in Gaza] 
fight Israeli tanks for months on end with hands armed 
only with willpower, faith and the love of the 
homeland, and Baghdad does not?  Baghdad is now losing 
its head, its memory and its history, and in its name 
much will be signed, before it wakes up.  Baghdad is a 
prisoner and the prisoner does not represent himself. 
Talking about its freedom is an illusion.  Baghdad 
will sign on to many accords, to which death may be 
easier.  Sharon will be waiting for these signatures 
and for other things.  With the disappearance of old 
Baghdad, many teams from the Arab world may also 
disappear.  The only beneficiary from this war that 
led to the occupation of Iraq is Israel, the right- 
wing Likud and Sharon.  Iraq's occupation will be 
President Bush's gift to them.  The awakening of the 
drunk is inevitable and we shall see how tables will 
turn and how the meaning of the word liberation shall 
glitter." 
GNEHM