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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008293 
 
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 SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CAPTURE 
 
                        Summary 
 
-- A lead story in all papers today, December 18, 
highlights the fuel truck explosion in Baghdad 
yesterday killing a disputed number of Iraqis. 
Another lead story talks about the anticipated speech 
by Israeli Prime Minister Sharon today, in which he 
will reveal the aspects of his "Unilateral Steps" 
plan.  The lead story in Al-Arab Al-Yawm quotes "a 
security source close to the occupation authorities" 
in Iraq as saying that Saddam Hussein was handed over 
by Mohammad Al-Musalat, a close person to Saddam, 
after drugging him and leading the Americans to him. 
 
                 Editorial Commentary 
 
-- "The Arab tragedy: intellectuals and fighters in 
the service of tyranny" 
 
Daily columnist Bater Wardam writes on the op-ed page 
of center-left, influential Arabic daily Al-Dustour 
(12/18):  "It is not destined upon the Arab world to 
remain within the realms of three tragic options, 
occupation, tyranny and terrorism.  It is shameful 
that there is in the Arab world intellectuals and 
fighters who support tyranny and tyrants on the 
pretext of resisting the occupation, or who support 
occupation and usurpation on the pretext of resisting 
terrorism and tyranny.  The real intellectual and 
fighter must not have any leniency with those three 
germs that are eating away at the Arab body..  The 
fourth option for the Arab world is the option of 
freedom, democracy, justice, respect for human 
dignity, development and progress.  It is the option 
that fighters and intellectuals must work for and 
never give up on in favor of tyranny, terrorism or 
occupation, whatever the pretext..  They are neither 
intellectuals nor fighters as long as they support 
oppression, tyrants and terrorists just to spite the 
United States.  They are intellectuals those who 
support the occupation on the pretext of combating 
terrorism and tyranny.  It is a single war and it is a 
comprehensive war that must be fought by the Arabs 
against occupation, tyranny and terrorism all 
together." 
 
-- "Who tries who?" 
 
Daily columnist Fahd Fanek writes on the back page of 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai 
(12/18):  "Capturing Saddam alive has put America in a 
dilemma.  What does it do with him?  Should he be 
tried domestically by an authority that has no 
legitimate authority and has no right to form courts 
and issues laws, or internationally and in accordance 
with international law?..  If the trial is 
internationally-held, the point of contention would be 
that the accusing party is the one that should be put 
on trial, for it is an aggressor that occupied a 
sovereign and independent state that does not exercise 
terrorism, does not own weapons of mass destruction 
and does not threaten the security of the United 
States.  How could someone defending the independence 
of his country be put on trial, while the one 
launching an illegitimate war gets away?" 
 
-- "The Saddam Hussein phenomenon between dream and 
reality" 
 
Columnist Raja Talab writes on the op-ed page of semi- 
official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (12/18): 
"Many Arabs still do not want to believe that it was 
Saddam Hussein they saw on TV a few days ago.  Those 
shocked people do not want to believe what they have 
convinced themselves of, namely that Saddam Hussein is 
an invincible hero who struck Israel with missiles and 
who defied the Americans.  Many Arabs do not want to 
believe that they have been deceived and they have 
been living in illusions..  The phenomenon of Saddam 
Hussein grew strong because of the state of defeat and 
frustration that the Arabs suffered from since the 
nineteen forties..  Those who are living in the 
illusion are not willing to believe that the 
occupation of Kuwait had nothing to do with the 
liberation of Palestine, but rather it was the 
illusion of power and arrogance.  They were not ready 
to understand that a person who kills his people with 
chemical weapons, suffocates them and turns Iraq into 
a big prison can never be a person who liberates 
others, and that a person who brings destruction to 
his own country cannot give others freedom, progress 
and prosperity..  They do not want to believe because 
they do not want to abandon their dreams.  The 
frustrated Arab mind is still looking for a hero and 
when it does not find it, it creates an illusionary 
one..  The real Saddam did not do what those people 
wanted the dream Saddam to do.  Therefore, they 
quickly resorted to self-consolation by saying that 
the one they saw is his look-alike, or that he was 
drugged, or that the Americans used cinema tricks. 
The important thing is that they do not wake up from 
their mirage and from facing the truth that simply 
says a tyrant cannot be a liberator, a professional 
killer cannot be human, and tyranny is the power of 
the weak." 
GNEHM