US embassy cable - 03AMMAN3207

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003207 
 
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 SHARM EL-SHEIKH AND AQABA 
SUMMITS 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead story in all papers today, June 2, is that the 
King and Queen yesterday met with Professor Klaus 
Schwab, Head and Founder of the World Economic Forum. 
The King noted that holding this conference in Jordan 
is a distinguished initative towards formulating a 
joint vision for the future. Another lead story 
focuses on Prime Minister Abul Ragheb's meeting with 
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas "Abu Mazen," 
in Amman yesterday. Discussion focused on the 
importance of implementing the road map and Jordan's 
support for Abu Mazen's government. Abu Mazen is 
expected to meet with King Abdullah today. Papers also 
reported that Foreign Minister Dr. Marwan Muasher will 
leave for Sharm El-Sheikh today to take part in 
preparations for the summit that will take place there 
tomorrow. The paper reported that Muasher denied 
statements by Jordan's ambassador to the U.S. doubting 
Abu Mazan's support among Palestinians. According to 
press reports, the Foreign Minister noted that the 
Ambassador was talking about a media and political 
campaign which could help the road map succeed. All 
papers reported that the State Security Court will 
look into the case of murdered U.S. diplomat Laurence 
Foley on Wednesday. Commentaries mainly focused on the 
forthcoming summits in Sharm El-Sheikh and Aqaba and 
the elections. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Will A Breakthrough Start from Aqaba?" 
 
After making a point that the forthcoming Aqaba summit 
crowns Jordan's peace efforts and is an 
acknowledgement of what Jordan has contributed, daily 
columnist Sultan Hattab writes on the op-ed page of 
semi-official influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (06/02): 
"President Bush has a difficult task ahead of him. 
Israeli Prime Minister Sharon is the one who will 
render Aqaba a success or a failure because the 
Palestinians and Arabs are more aware of their need to 
review their stands after what happened in Iraq. The 
bet is not on Sharon's inherent stands but on Bush's 
willingness and ability to exercise pressure on Sharon 
and on how sincere he was when he told some Arab 
journalists in an interview with him: `Yes, I can 
exert pressure on Sharon.' Can he really do so? We 
shall wait and see .. The waters of Aqaba will prove 
the diver to be a liar if he cannot swim!!" 
 
 -- "Mr. Powell's Return" 
 
Columnist Osama Sharif writes on the op-ed page of 
center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(06/02): "It is difficult to predict the importance of 
holding a summit in Sharm El-Sheikh and another one in 
Aqaba this week in terms of their practical results 
and how they will affect on the peace process and on 
the future of U.S.-Arab relations after the Iraq 
earthquake. On the one hand, both summits could be 
just another one of those Public Relations campaigns 
aimed at softening the effects of Arab resentment 
resulting from the U.S. war on Iraq and its occupation 
of it for an indefinate time. Therefore, perhaps what 
was required was to beautify the U.S. image and to 
divert attention from Washington's practices in Iraq 
to Palestine within the so-called road map. On another 
hand, the U.S. Administration may truly be determined 
to activate the Palestinian-Israeli portfolio and to 
force both parties to sit at the negotiations table to 
reach a final solution." 
 
Sharif continues: "Powell bowed to the storm when 
Cheney and Rumsfeld caught the president's interest 
during the Iraq crisis and the war. However, he was 
not totally defeated. Here he is back on the scene 
alongside his president, who is launching a diplomatic 
campaign in Europe and the Middle East at a time when 
the hawks are demanding that he be stern and continue 
with the thick stick diplomacy . However, Powell's 
return to the scene may give some hope regarding the 
U.S. Administration's stand on the Palestnian issue 
and its future." 
GNEHM