VZCZCXYZ0002
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAMA #8312 3111342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF5700 3111359
O 071342Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS
ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUMICEA/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//

UNCLAS AMMAN 008312 
 
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 TSOU 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
 
TAGS: KMDR JO
 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON SADDAM TRIAL 
 
EDITORIAL COMMENTARY 
 
-- "THE OCCUPIERS ARE NOT FAIR JUDGES, BUT INVADERS AND AGGRESSORS" 
 
FORMER MINISTER OF INFORMATION NASSOUH AL-MAJALI WRITES ON THE OP-ED 
PAGE OF SEMI-OFFICIAL, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AL-RAI (11/07): "IT 
IS A BLACK DAY WHEN A DEATH SENTENCE IS ISSUED AGAINST AN ARAB 
PRESIDENT WHO SITS IN AN AMERICAN PRISON AND WHO IS SUBJECTED TO A 
TRIAL THAT LACKS ANY TRUE LEGALITY, MOTIVATED ONLY BY THE THIRST FOR 
REVENGE THAT TYPIFIES OCCUPIERS AND THEIR TOOLS.  THE DEATH SENTENCE 
WAS PRE-ARRANGED THROUGH POLITICAL STATEMENTS THAT URGE DEATH, AND 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND SECURITY MEASURES THAT PREEMPT IT.  WE WOULD HAVE 
LIKED TO SEE SADDAM AND HIS FRIENDS TRIED BEFORE A REAL 
INTERNATIONAL COURT OR BY A FAIR COURT BELONGING TO A FREE 
GOVERNMENT, NOT UNDER OCCUPATION. WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED NOT TO SEE 
THE LIVES OF SADDAM AND HIS FRIENDS TURN INTO A TRUMP CARD, AND 
ANOTHER FALSEHOOD IN THE LONG LIST OF LIES BY THE NEO-CONSERVATIVES. 
 THOSE WHO OVERTHREW THE REGIME IN IRAQ ARE CAPABLE OF OVERTHROWING 
ANY OTHER ARAB REGIME THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS OF FALSIFYING FACTS. 
THE LESSON IS THERE FOR WHOEVER WISHES TO LEARN IT, BECAUSE THE 
OCCUPIERS ARE NOT FAIR JUDGES, BUT INVADERS AND AGGRESSORS." 
 
-- 'THE TRIAL OF SADDAM" 
 
DAILY COLUMNIST ORAIB AL-RANTAWI WRITES ON THE OP-ED PAGE OF 
CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AD-DUSTOUR (11/07): "IN THE 
FRONT ROW OF THE DEFENDANTS CAGE WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN U.S. PRESIDENT 
BUSH, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BLAIR, AND BEHIND THEM BREMER, 
KHALILZAD, NEGROPONTE, ALONG WITH THE LEADERS OF THE IRAQI MILITIAS 
FROM THEN BADR BRIGADES AND THE PASHMARGA TO ABU AYYOUB AL-MASRI, 
THE SUCCESSOR OF AL-ZARQAWI.  ALL THESE PEOPLE KILLED MORE INNOCENT 
IRAQIS THAN THE TYRANT IN THE DEFENDANT'S CAGE. THEY HAVE ALL 
COMMITTED CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND THEY SHOULD NOT GET AWAY WITH 
THEM. A MILLION IRAQIS HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE THE 'WAR OF 
LIBERATION' AND 3 MILLION HAVE BEEN MADE HOMELESS.  SADDAM HUSSEIN 
DESERVED THE DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING 148 PEOPLE FROM AL-DUJAYL, 
SO WHAT SENTENCE SHOULD BE METED ON THE HEROES OF ABU GHRAIB, THOSE 
WHO DESTROYED FALLUJAH ON ITS INHABITANTS?  WHICH SENTENCE SHOULD BE 
METED ON BLAIR'S OFFICERS AND MEN WHO RAPE THE OMEN OF BASRA?  WHICH 
SENTENCE SHOULD BE METED ON THIS UNHOLY ALLIANCE OF MURDERERS AND 
WAR CRIMINALS?" 
 
-- "A FREE AND JUST JUDICIARY" 
 
DAILY COLUMNIST SAMIH MAITAH WRITES ON THE BACK-PAGE OF INDEPENDENT, 
CENTRIST ARABIC DAILY AL-GHAD (11/06):  "THE MAIN ISSUE DOES NOT LIE 
IN SADDAM'S DEATH, OR HIS IMPRISONMENT, OR HIS RELEASE.  THE MAIN 
ISSUE IS THE IRAQI PEOPLE WHOM AMERICA PUSHED, THROUGH THE 
OCCUPATION, INTO A LARGE PRISON, RAMPANT WITH MICROPHONES AND 
PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES FOR THE SO-CALLED GREEN ZONE, AND THE 
MAIN NEWS ITEM ABOUT IRAQ EVERY MORNING HAS BECOME ABOUT KILLINGS 
AND VICTIMS.  IF THE PUNISHMENT OF SADDAM AND HIS PEOPLE MEANS THE 
END OF KILLING IN IRAQ, THEN WE MUST ALL REJOICE.  BUT IF IT IS A 
MATTER OF VENGEANCE AGAINST A NEIGHBORING REVOLUTIONARY COUNTRY, OR 
AN ELECTION CARD FOR BUSH WHOSE ARMY IS SUFFERING IN IRAQ, OR A 
COVER UP FOR THE FAILURE OF A NEW REGIME, THEN THE DEATH OR 
IMPRISONMENT OF MEN OF THE FORMER REGIME IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN 
THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ, THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS ARAB STATE, AND THE 
SHEDDING OF THE BLOOD OF ALL ITS PEOPLE." 
 
-- "SADDAM'S EXECUTION" 
 
DAILY COLUMNIST JAMIL NIMRI WRITES ON THE BACK-PAGE OF INDEPENDENT, 
CENTRIST ARABIC DAILY AL-GHAD (11/06): "WHAT EASES THE EFFECT OF 
SADDAM'S DEATH SENTENCE IS THE FACT THAT THERE IS AN APPEALS 
DECISION.  WE ARE NOT YET IN THE FINAL STAGE.  THERE IS GOING TO BE 
A DEEP DIVISION AS TO THE CORRECT DECISION ABOUT SADDAM; AFTER ALL, 
HIS EXECUTION IS A PROBLEM AND HIS SURVIVAL IS ALSO A PROBLEM.  BUT 
EVERYTHING RELATED TO THIS TRIAL IS PART OF THE SERIES OF MISTAKES, 
STARTING WITH THE ORIGINAL SIN OF THE DECISION BY THE ADOLESCENT 
GANG OF NEO-CONSERVATIVES TO INVADE IRAQ....  THE IRAQI PEOPLE HAVE 
THE RIGHT TO TRY A FORMER REGIME FOR ITS EXERCISE OF WHAT COULD BE 
CLASSIFIED AS CRIMES AGAINST CITIZENS OR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. 
THE SCENE WOULD HAVE BEEN CATEGORICALLY DIFFERENT HAD THIS HAPPENED 
UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, UNDER A FREE REGIME AND THE RULE OF 
LAW AND PUBLIC ORDER....  IN SHORT, HORRIBLE TRAGEDIES AND 
TRANSGRESSIONS OCCURRED IN SADDAM'S ERA, WHICH JUSTIFIES THE TRIAL 
OF THE REGIME AND ITS SYMBOLS AND THE ISSUANCE OF THE DEATH 
SENTENCE.  YET, AMERICAS STORY WITH IRAQ, WITH THIS MOST HORRIBLE 
AND TERRIFYING REALITY ON THE GROUND, HAS MADE THIS TRIAL A JOKE AND 
ITS OUTCOMES AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM AND NOT A SOLUTION." 
 
 
-- "BREAKING NEWS" 
 
CHIEF EDITOR TAHER ODWAN WRITES ON THE BACK-PAGE OF INDEPENDENT, 
MASS-APPEAL ARABIC DAILY AL-ARAB AL-YAWM (11/06): "YESTERDAY WAS A 
MAJOR BREAKING NEWS DAY FOR THE AMERICAN MEDIA OUTLETS, DESPITE THE 
WHITE HOUSE'S DENIAL OF ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TIMING OF THE 
VERDICTS IN BAGHDAD AND THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED 
STATES....  WE WILL SEE THE EXTENT OF THE REPUBLICAN 
ADMINISTRATIONS SUCCESS OR FAILURE IN THIS CHARADE OF VERDICTS TO 
SALVAGE THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN THE ELECTIONS.  YET, IT IS 
CLEAR THAT THE ONLY VICTORY THAT BUSH HAS IN IRAQ IS THE CAPTURE OF 
THE IRAQI PRESIDENT, PUTTING HIM ON TRIAL AND FINALLY SENTENCING HIM 
TO DEATH.  OTHER THAN THAT, THERE IS NOTHING BUT THE QUAGMIRE OF 
DEFEAT THAT WILL HAUNT BUSH AND THE REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION UNTIL 
WHEN.  IRAQ IS AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY.  THIS IS THE ONLY AND THE BITTER 
TRUTH ... THAT SLAPS IN THE FACE ANYONE WHO GLOATS ABOUT THE 
VERDICT'S JUSTICE AND THE LEGITIMACY OF THE COURT.  AFTER ALL, THE 
TRIAL DID NOT TAKE PLACE IN AL-DUJAYL, THE VILLAGE CONCERNED, BUT IN 
THE GREEN ZONE AND UNDER THE SPEARS OF THE AMERICANS....  WE DO NOT 
KNOW IF JUSTICE WILL TAKE ITS COURSE ONE OF THE DAYS ON THE BASIS OF 
A COMPARISON BETWEEN A PRESIDENT WHO IS TO BE EXECUTED BECAUSE HE IS 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KILLING OF 148 IRAQI 22 YEARS AGO AND AFTER HIS 
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON THE ONE HAND, AND A WAR ADMINISTRATION OR 
AN INVASION DECISION THAT LED TO THE KILLING OF MORE THAN HALF A 
MILLION IRAQIS AMIDST THE OBJECTIONS OF ALL HUMANITY AND THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY." 
 
-- "THE FARCE TRIAL" 
 
DAILY COLUMNIST BASEM SAKIJHA WRITES ON THE OP-ED PAGE OF 
CENTER-LEFT, INFLUENTIAL ARABIC DAILY AD-DUSTOUR (11/06): 
"EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE TRIAL OF SADDAM HUSSEIN FORCES US 
TO COMPARE IT TO A FARCE.  SINCE THE BEGINNING, THE DEFENSE WAS 
PREVENTED FROM DEFENDING, THE JUDGE WAS REMOVED BECAUSE HE IS 
NEUTRAL, THE PROSECUTION WAS PROVOKED OVER EVERY LITTLE THING, AND 
THE IMPLICIT-EXPLICIT AMERICAN PRESENCE WAS INVOLVED IN EVERY LITTLE 
DETAIL....  THE COURT, FROM BEGINNING TO END, WAS A MIRROR 
REFLECTING THE IMAGE OF THE NEW IRAQ.  THERE IS AN OCCUPATION THAT 
RUNS MATTERS, ALLIES FOR IT THAT DO ITS BIDDING, AND PEOPLE IN THE 
CAGE AWAITING THE VERDICT.  TO SAY THAT THE IRAQI PEOPLE TRIED 
SADDAM HUSSEIN IS NOT TRUE AT ALL.  THE OCCUPATION IS THE ONE THAT 
TRIED HIM AND IT IS THE ONE THAT SENTENCED HIM.  IN THE FUTURE, THE 
IRAQI PEOPLE WILL COME TO STUDY THE VERDICT AGAINST SADDAM.  THE 
PARTY THAT TRIED SADDAM ON CHARGES OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IS THE 
PARTY THAT IS COMMITTING THESE CRIMES TODAY.  NO ONE CAN BE 
CONVINCED THAT THE ADVERSARY COULD EVER BE A JUDGE UNDER ANY 
CIRCUMSTANCES.  HAD THE CHANGE IN THE REGIME BEEN NATURAL AND HAD 
THE JUDGES AGAINST SADDAM HUSSEIN BEEN IRAQI, WE WOULD HAVE 
CONCLUDED A DIFFERENT RESULT.  BUT THE SENTENCING OF THE OCCUPATION 
CAN NEVER ACHIEVE JUSTICE." 
HALE