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

141609Z Feb 06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 001095 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARN, NEA/P, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, 
I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR JO
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION ON HAMAS OUTREACH TO 
JORDAN AND RUSSIA 
 
 
¶1. Summary. Lead stories in all papers over the past 
fortnight, February 2-14, focus on Hamas' efforts to 
reach out to Jordan and other nations such as Russia. 
Media coverage has consisted of meticulous reports of 
Hamas' statements as they evolved.  Editorials and 
commentary have discussed Jordan's potential 
vulnerability to an Israeli-Hamas standoff, the 
perceived need for Jordan to establish a dialogue with 
Hamas and assist the Palestinian people without 
compromising Jordan's position, and Russia's 
invitation to Hamas as "a brave step" even if it leads 
nowhere.  End summary. 
 
Media coverage 
 
¶2. Jordanian print and electronic media have given 
saturation coverage of Hamas' victory in the 
Palestinian Legislative Council elections and its 
public statements in the days following.  All dailies 
reported on February 2 the visit by a delegation of 
the Jordanian Islamic Action Front, headed by Shura 
Council President Abdul Latif Arabiyat, to Damascus, 
where it congratulated Hamas leaders on their 
movement's electoral victory.  The IAF delegation 
reportedly returned with the message that Hamas is 
ready to bury the past in its dealings with Jordan. 
Separate reports quoted GOJ Official Spokesperson 
Nasser Joudeh as saying that political and legal 
problems remain regarding the status of the Hamas 
leaders who were expelled from Jordan, even though 
they bear Jordanian nationality. 
 
¶3. On February 7, all dailies reported the statement 
by Joudeh that Jordan has not received any official 
request from Hamas to visit Jordan. He also stated 
that Jordan has not received requests for asylum from 
any Palestinian personalities. 
 
¶4. On February 12, all dailies carried front-page 
reports regarding Hamas' outreach to Jordan and to 
Russia, including the U.S. reaction.  Headlines read 
"Hamas affirms that it has received an official 
invitation to visit Amman" - Independent, centrist, 
widely circulated Arabic daily Al-Ghad.  "America 
receives Russian assurances that it would push Hamas 
towards a peaceful solution" - Leading, semi-official 
Arabic daily Al-Rai.  "Moscow will invite the Movement 
to recognize Israel; Hamas: The cabinet is ready and 
we wait for the participation of the factions" - 
Center-left, influential, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily 
Ad-Dustour.  An inside page report on February 12 in 
Ad-Dustour quoted the statement of Osama Hamdan that 
Hamas would be willing to turn a new page with Jordan, 
and to develop the relationship into a partnership. 
The independent, opposition Arabic daily Al-Arab Al- 
Yawm quoted the same day unidentified GOJ sources as 
saying that Jordan does not expect a visit by Hamas 
leaders before resolving their nationality issue. 
 
Editorial commentaries on Hamas and Jordan 
 
-- "Hamas and Jordan" 
 
Chief Editor Ayman Al-Safadi of the independent, 
centrist, widely circulated Arabic daily Al-Ghad wrote 
(2/13): "There are many indications that the dialogue 
proceeds positively, which is reflected in the 
statements of Hamas leaders, who are aware of the 
support that Jordan can give them on the international 
arena.  Hamas needs this support to succeed in its new 
role, as a government that runs the affairs of the 
Palestinian people, and that negotiates on behalf of 
that people.  Factors that unite Jordan and Hamas are 
greater than those which separate them. The 
establishment of a Palestinian state is a Jordanian 
interest, as it is a Palestinian right and ambition. 
The need to coordinate efforts to achieve this common 
goal will push both sides to reach a practical formula 
that addresses political imperatives as well as legal 
questions." 
 
-- "Let Us Think Together of New Horizons" 
 
Columnist Nahed Hattar wrote in the independent, 
opposition Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (2/13): "The 
government of Jordan now has no choice but to receive 
the leaders of Hamas immediately, without 
preconditions, and to reach a formula for cooperation 
with them outside American and Israeli pressure. 
Hamas leaders today insist on keeping their Jordanian 
nationality, which is. clearly part of a political 
position.  Is it a message that they do not recognize 
the disengagement of the two banks? Are they thinking 
of returning to the bosom of the Hashemite Kingdom of 
Jordan and restoring Jordanian-Palestinian unity, 
which was broken by Fatah? Let the options stay open. 
Let us withdraw our recognition of Israel in order to 
overcome the Wadi Araba and Oslo at the same time, and 
let us in doing so bury the Jordanian Palestinian 
split.  Let us think in terms of new horizons for the 
solution based on international legitimacy, which 
consists of a total and unconditional withdrawal from 
the West Bank and Gaza, and creating a united kingdom 
embracing the two people, which would be Arab and 
democratic, and with a radio station that speaks from 
Amman and Jerusalem." 
 
-- "On Jordan and Hamas" 
 
In a clear reference to the op-ed piece written by 
Nahed Hattar recommending that Jordan should rescind 
the Wadi Araba treaty in order to turn a new page with 
Hamas, columnist Oraib Rantawi wrote in the center- 
left, influential, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily Ad- 
Dustour (2/14): "It is true that Jordan is not 
required to spearhead the countries that pressure 
Hamas to accept in advance the three conditions 
stipulated by Washington. but it would be politically 
absurd to ask Jordan to adopt the program of Hamas, 
withdraw its recognition of Israel, and rescind the 
peace treaty. That advice would be fit for a 
`martyrdom cell' not for a state in the situation that 
Jordan is in.  Most probably, Hamas leaders, at the 
peak of their euphoria, did not imagine making such 
demands of Jordan, but it seems that some people among 
us want us to be more pro-Hamas than Hamas." 
 
Editorial commentaries on Hamas and Russia 
 
-- "The Road to Moscow is like that to Washington" 
 
Veteran columnist Tariq Masarwah wrote in the leading, 
semi-official Arabic daily Al-Rai (2/14):  "Hamas' 
first experience in Moscow will not result in a 
breakthrough in the wall of enmity to Palestinians, 
because the Russian Federation is not the Soviet 
Union, and Putin will say very little that is 
different from what his representative said to the 
Quartet.  Reaching Moscow will not change much.  Fatah 
managed to reach Washington DC before this, and the 
gates of the White House were opened to it, but the 
`light at the end of the tunnel,' as the whiz kids of 
settlements like to say, did not manifest itself." 
 
-- "A Brave Russian Step" 
 
Atef Al-Jolani, chief editor of Islamist Arabic weekly 
Assabeel wrote (2/14): "The Russian move does not lose 
any of its importance because of the statements by 
Kremlin officials that they will ask Hamas to 
recognize Israel and give up resistance.  Those who 
understand politics realize that the Russians are 
striking a balance by sending comforting messages to 
assuage the angry reactions, of those who are angry 
and afraid. Hamas realizes the reasons behind Russia's 
comforting messages to Washington and Tel Aviv, and 
Moscow is aware of the clear positions of Hamas that 
refuse to recognize Israel or to renounce resistance, 
but this has not affected the desire of either party 
to meet the other. Those who wagered that Hamas would 
fail after it is politically isolated and financially 
besieged, are reviewing their calculations and 
reducing their expectations." 
 
-- "Hamas: A New Strategic Vision" 
 
Columnist Nahed Hattar in the independent, opposition 
Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (2/12) assesses Russia's 
initiative towards Hamas and wonders about Hamas' 
"lukewarm" reception.  He concludes: "Hamas is now 
facing a strategic choice and it will not be able to 
maneuver or stall for long.  It either repeats Fatah's 
experience and follows the Americans and their Arab 
allies or it succeeds in finding for itself a new 
position in the context of the Russian-Iranian-Syrian 
alliance and its Lebanese and Iraqi extensions.  Hamas 
can present a new framework for the settlement with 
Israel without giving concessions on basic Palestinian 
rights and without slipping into a situation of 
partial negotiations and security solutions and 
getting blackmailed by Israeli threats of boycott. 
But this new framework requires a new strategic 
visions." 
 
-- "The Israeli Stand on Hamas" 
 
Center-left, influential, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily 
Al-Dustour's editorial (2/12) says:  "One must stop 
and consider the Israeli angry reaction to the Russian 
President's invitation to Hamas to hold talks in 
Moscow about the future of the Palestinian Israeli 
peace process..  Without any respect for a country of 
Russia's size and as far away from diplomatic 
courtesy, the Russian President was warned that he 
would be taken off any contribution to the Middle East 
peace process should he indeed go ahead and make that 
invitation formally to Hamas..  In principle, Russia 
has the right to make its contribution towards 
supporting the peace process any way it sees fit. 
After all, it is a member of the quartet committee 
that originally formed the roadmap.  In terms of 
logic, there must be someone on that committee who is 
able to talk with Hamas, the movement that is going to 
form the new Palestinian government and the one that 
holds parliamentary majority via free elections.  The 
United States and the European Union are not going to 
take that step and the United Nations has nothing to 
offer in this regard.  The Russian initiative may not 
have been done without consultations with the US 
administration and other international leaderships, 
but Russia does not need Israel's permission to hold 
contacts with Hamas..  There is a difference between 
objecting to Hamas' position on the conflict with 
Israel and objecting to the will of the Palestinian 
people and the presence of this movement on the 
political map.  When this objection comes from the 
same party that refuses to grant the Palestinian 
people the minimum level of their rights, then 
Israel's stand in this case goes beyond being a 
formality objection to becoming a complete and final 
objection to the Palestinian existence on the 
Palestinian land." 
 
HALE