US embassy cable - 03AMMAN3870

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003870 
 
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 MIDDLE EAST 
 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- Lead stories in all papers today, June 29, focus on 
the efforts to achieve a ceasefire by Palestinian 
militant groups and National Security Advisor Rice's 
arrival in the region to further the peace process.  A 
number of editorial commentaries today discuss the 
Palestinian factions agreement to a "truce". 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "A successful tactical move" 
 
Daily columnist Mohammad Kawash writes on the back 
page of independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab 
Al-Yawm (06/29):  "The resistance factions did not 
alter their strategies, nor did they retract their 
objectives and their demands for a comprehensive 
Israeli withdrawal and for the establishment of an 
independent Palestinian state.  They are dealing with 
the current dangerous events leniently, realistically 
and sensibly..  The Palestinians are telling the 
international community, as well as the Americans and 
the Israelis, that the Palestinian people do not fight 
for fighting's sake and do not go to war for war's 
sake, but for their rights, their freedom, their 
dignity and to achieve statehood.  The Palestinian 
people, after all, want a normal and dignified life, 
just like all people on this earth." 
 
-- "The truce is self-protecting and a first step 
towards statehood" 
 
Daily columnist Hamadeh Fara'neh writes on the op-ed 
page of semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(06/29):  "The American intervention is not a gift or 
a grant given to the Palestinian people.  It is the 
result of urgent demands by America's Arab friends 
(Jordan, Egypt, Saudi and Morocco), of continuous 
European pressure, and of the failure of Israeli 
policy.  The American intervention came on the heels 
of Palestinian sacrifices, their heroism and their 
steadfastness.  We must, therefore, see the facts as 
they are and not as we want them to be.  The truce is 
not a conspiracy or a trick and accepting it on the 
part of the Palestinians is not a sign of stupidity, 
weakness or lack of ability.  It is, rather a 
political tactic to reap the fruits of sacrifices and 
a breath-catching station from which the battle for 
independence continues even if it is by other tools. 
The purpose is to eliminate the occupation and win 
independence, not to fight.  Fighting, struggling and 
sacrifices are the available means to achieve the 
objective of independence, and the roadmap is the 
internationally-provided program to put an end to the 
occupation and achieve an independent state." 
 
-- "A truce to cross this period" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(06/29):  "The Palestinian factions succeeded in 
achieving a truce.  It is now up to the U.S. 
administration and how much it wants to impose this 
truce and stop the bloodbath.  Hamas' and (Palestinian 
Islamic) Jihad's agreement on the truce prevents Rice 
and others to make war on Hamas the top item of the 
agenda..  It is the right of any Palestinian to wonder 
what happens next and whether all their sacrifices 
over the past two years of the Intifada have been for 
only this truce.  Unfortunately, for the time being, 
the answer is yes.  This is because the current 
international and regional climate does not offer any 
political reward for military action..  Since 
September 11, 2001, when Al-Qa'eda operations came in 
the same form as the Palestinian suicide bombings, all 
the blame has been put on the Palestinian side, while 
Israeli operations were viewed as self-defense..  The 
world, which has never stopped acknowledging the 
righteousness of the Palestinian cause, is now dealing 
with only one priority, namely to stop the violence in 
order to resume the peace process.  Therefore, for the 
Palestinian side to appear as the party that does not 
want to stop the violence would actually cover up 
Israel's denial of Palestinian rights and its 
continuance of the brutal campaign against the 
Palestinian people.  In other words, armed struggle is 
no longer giving Palestinians any privileges, rather 
(it is giving them) only more material and political 
losses." 
-- "The ball is in the Israeli and American court" 
Center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(06/29) editorializes:  "The atmosphere of openness 
that prevails in the Palestinian political arena 
brings much reassurance to those peace-loving forces 
in the region and in the world.  The Palestinians are 
proving, for the umpteenth time, that they are more 
concerned to push the peace process forward and that 
they are more willing to abide by their commitments.. 
Washington, which has adopted policies that are 
blindly biased in favor of the Hebrew state, finds 
itself now face to face with the international 
community, and must therefore bring something new to 
the Arab-Israeli conflict.  It is no longer reasonable 
or acceptable for the U.S. administration to continue 
its crazy war against the so-called `Palestinian 
terrorism' when Israel's aggressiveness goes on 
without any reins, wreaking death and destruction 
among the Palestinians.  It is no longer acceptable 
for Washington to continue its policy of covering up 
for the occupation's actions and crimes..  The ball is 
now in the American court.  Washington alone, as it 
claims sponsorship for the peace process and for the 
initiative of two states for two peoples, can 
translate these initiatives and visions and force the 
forces of occupation and racism to backtrack." 
GNEHM