US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2321

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002321 
 
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 AND U.S.-SYRIA 
STANDOFF 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, April 16, focus 
on developments on Iraq's domestic front.  Front-page 
headlines highlight Iraqi demonstrations against the 
U.S. in some Baghdad neighborhoods and the death of 10 
Iraqis by Marines' fire.  Reports also highlight the 
Iraqi opposition meeting.  Other lead stories focus on 
the escalating tension between the United States and 
Syria. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Stop asking for new glories" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(04/15):  "During this war, the Arab people stood 
against the invasion, except for the one people who 
actually fell under that invasion, for they wanted to 
get rid of what they were suffering from..  After this 
recent shock, would it be right to ignore those 
methods of domestic rule that are justified on the 
pretext that they confront foreign intervention? 
Would inflaming emotions with fiery, high-noted pan- 
Arab and Islamic speeches and feeding hopes of 
regaining the glory of the nation justify ignoring the 
oppression and corruption and stepping on of 
individual citizens..  We do not want any single 
leader to decide to drag us into confrontations.  Only 
governments elected by elected parliaments would 
decide such a thing, so that people can bear the 
responsibility, whether negative or positive.. 
Commenting on the objectives of imperialism and 
Zionism in our region and for our people is masked 
idleness that seeks to exempt us from holding 
ourselves accountable for what we are in.  Is it 
logical that a regime would wage two destructive 
useless wars?" 
 
-- "Syria in the bull's eye" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(04/16):  "All of a sudden, the Syrian file is opened: 
Damascus harbors figures from the collapsed regime in 
Baghdad; Damascus harbors terrorist organizations and 
supports others; Damascus produces weapons of mass 
destruction and conceals Iraqi chemical weapons.  What 
is being said in Washington today has definitely been 
said in Tel Aviv before..  War on Syria seems 
farfetched for a number of reasons.  First, Syria is 
not Iraq, and this is not in terms of military power, 
but rather in terms of political and diplomatic 
aspects.  Syria has close relations with many Arab, 
Muslim and European countries and its relations with 
the United States, despite their tense and tepid 
nature, are based on cooperation and coordination. 
Second, Syria is not Iraq, because the nuance in 
Syrian diplomacy can be amazing.  Third, Washington, 
despite the ongoing escalation against Syria, still 
finds room and potential for dialogue and cooperation 
with the Syrian leadership.  For all these reasons, we 
believe that the American campaign against Syria will 
not go beyond political and diplomatic pressures." 
 
-- "The Arab world is required to support Syria now" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(04/16):  "U.S. intentions towards Syria are clear. 
It took but one day after ensuring the collapse of the 
Iraqi regime in Baghdad for America's aggressive 
statements against Syria to start, using the same 
false accusation:  weapons of mass destruction.  These 
American statements raised tension and suspicion in 
the Arab world, but at the same time, they removed any 
doubt or misunderstanding regarding U.S. intentions, 
which are aggressive and seek to guarantee full 
protection for Israel." 
-- "The freedom to loot and steal" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(04/16):  "One of the strangest explanations for the 
looting and stealing that occurred in Iraqi cities was 
the U.S. Secretary of Defense's statement that what 
happened was the outcome of the end of the era of 
oppression and the beginning taste of freedom brought 
by the Americans, and that these actions are 
considered natural and interim aspects of moving from 
the dictatorship era to the liberation era..  The 
American occupation forces encouraged the looting and 
stealing, not only to cover up their own looting and 
stealing, but also to strike against the Iraqi people, 
to break them and to destroy their self-worth and 
their national pride.  If America meant to strike the 
regime, then the regime is now gone.  America wants to 
confiscate the possibility of establishing an Iraqi 
state, so that the American occupation becomes a 
requirement and the American leadership a refuge." 
GNEHM