This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

280940Z Sep 03

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006185 
 
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, September 28, 
continue to highlight developments in Iraq, including 
the summoning of ten thousand American reserve troops 
to go to Iraq and the ongoing demonstrations in Europe 
protesting what is going on in Iraq and Palestine. 
Another lead story highlights President Bush's summit 
meeting with his Russian counterpart in the US. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "Those addressed by Bush" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Udwan writes on the back page of 
independent, mass-appeal Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm 
(09/26):  "After President Bush delivered his address 
before the General Assembly, a number of unofficial 
commentaries were issued in Arab countries, saying 
that the U.S. President was addressing the public 
opinion in his own country.  This is an example of how 
Arab governments, as well as a large portion of  the 
political analysts, ignore the status quo.  It is 
indicative of two things:  the absence of transparency 
and honesty on the part of the Arabs when it comes to 
evaluating the Bush administration's policy towards 
the Arab region; and the handling of whatever is 
issued by the U.S. President and his people as 
material for domestic American consumption only. 
[Arab] governments do not serve their own political 
objectives by establishing close relations with the 
U.S. administration, because of the rising conviction 
among the Arab public that these governments do not 
have relations based on equality with Washington, but 
succumb to American dictates that are not logical or 
acceptable and that conflict with the national 
interests of more than one Arab country.  At the same 
time, the enmity of Arabs for America is increasing, 
while America seems to be in a state of war with Islam 
and with the Arabs, and not only with terrorism as it 
claims..  If the U.S. President is fighting today to 
stop the deterioration of his popularity among his own 
people, it should not be done at the expense of the 
Arab people." 
 
-- "After the quadrilateral committee's statement" 
 
Daily columnist Urayb Rintawi writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(09/28):  "The quadrilateral committee blamed the 
Palestinians for the obstruction that befell the peace 
process, and asked them to stop the `violence and 
terrorism' against the Israelis, as much as it asked 
the Israelis to stop their settlement activities and 
abide by the roadmap.  The quadrilateral committee 
avoided adopting `any serious measures' and settled 
for initiating calls and demands on parties to abide 
by the requirements of the roadmap.  No two people can 
argue the fact that the quadrilateral committee's 
statement is not balanced at all.  By placing the 
victim and victimizer on equal footing, the statement 
has acquitted the victimizer and indicted the victim. 
Yet, political discourse must go beyond the moral 
evaluation to what is more political and practical. 
Hence, we review the following points.  The 
Palestinians do share some of the responsibility for 
the deterioration of their image and that of their 
cause in the international arena.  This however does 
not relieve the Arabs of their own responsibilities, 
nor does it nullify the theories of `double standards' 
and `blind bias', and it definitely does not drop the 
`clash of civilizations' aspects and President Bush's 
electioneering from the calculations..  It is time for 
all the Palestinians to understand, particularly now 
as we mark the end of the third year of the ongoing 
Intifada, that the point of a military action is in 
the outcome.  The outcome of three years of struggle 
does not live up to the level of loss, sacrifice and 
suffering.  The Palestinian cause is in reverse and 
the Palestinian forces are losing power on the 
regional and international levels.  It is time to 
conduct a comprehensive review of strategy. 
Furthermore, only Palestinians can scratch their own 
back, and nothing can change their cause until they 
change themselves.  The Palestinian experience has 
shown that the outcome of the cause was never 
conclusive, and the Palestinians could have ended up 
in a much better shape than they are today." 
 
-- "Self defense" 
 
Daily columnist Basem Sakijha writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(09/28):  "The quadrilateral committee is supposed to 
represent the entire world .  but in reality, this 
committee is now representing only the Israeli 
viewpoint.  It is putting forth an unprecedented bias 
by internationally influential parties in favor of the 
Sharonic viewpoint, which is based on the 
unprecedented American support.  Thus the Israeli 
occupation, the repeated incursions, the 
assassinations, the demolitions, and all forms of 
aggression have become self-defense tactics against 
Palestinian terrorism.  Injustice has been dressed as 
justice and fairness, the victim has become the 
victimizer, and the murdered has become the murderer. 
The quadrilateral committee's statement is serious and 
legitimizes the Israeli aggression, giving the green 
light for the Israeli gun to shoot whenever at 
whatever.  Furthermore, it allows Sharon to execute a 
plan that could lead to the expulsion of Palestinian 
leadership figures and total reoccupation.  It is 
serious too because it reflects the viewpoint of those 
parties tasked with supervising the roadmap." 
GNEHM