VZCZCXRO7565
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #3327/01 3511402
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161402Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3980
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003327 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, IIP/GNEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: JO KPAO KMDR KWBG
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN MEDIA JOIN BANDWAGON HAILING SHOE THROWER 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Jordan's media over the past two days have focused, like 
their counterparts in other Arab countries, on the shoe throwing 
incident against President Bush in Iraq.  Daily newspapers carried 
front-page coverage of the incident, with an enormous number of 
editorial commentary, cartoons, and letters to the editor, as well 
as photos of the incident.  In general, commentary on the incident 
was gleeful and laudatory of the Iraqi reporter's "daring" act that 
"summed up" what the writers said were the angry feelings of Iraqis 
and Arabs regarding the US policy.  Only one commentary in the 
official government daily Al-Rai Arabic echoed President Bush's 
remark that the incident was an "output" of democracy in Iraq. 
Jordan's online news websites were similarly overtaken by the 
incident.  All these news websites featured a link to the video feed 
of the incident.  On the other hand, government-run Jordan 
Television addressed the incident conservatively, sparingly 
featuring brief footage of the incident and focusing on President 
Bush's reaction.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  REPRESENTATIVE EDITORIAL COMMENTARY 
 
-  "Shoes" 
 
Daily columnist Oraib Rantawi opines on the op-ed page of the 
center-left, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily Ad-Dustour (12/16):  "The 
United States, represented by its president, has shown without the 
shadow of doubt that it is completely isolated from the region.  It 
knows so little about its culture, history, sensitivities and 
priorities.  We, on the other hand, demonstrated in the 'shoe 
incident' a need for victory, any victory, even one at the level of 
throwing a shoe or shouting a swear word." 
 
-  "The shoes of Muntather Al-Zeidi" 
 
Chief Editor Taher Odwan opines on the back page of the independent, 
opposition Arabic daily Al-Arab Al-Yawm (12/16):  "Bush considered 
the incident as one of his 'democratic achievements' in Iraq.  So 
why imprison Al-Zeidi if the Green Zone government is one of those 
achievements?  Moreover, the Iraqi and American authorities have no 
right to arrest Muntather Al-Zeidi and penalize him when no American 
or Iraqi official has been arrested in a country where more than 300 
reporters have been killed since the invasion.  The shoes of 
Muntather Al-Zeidi are a more civilized expression of protest 
against a president who used force and violence against an entire 
country and who created a situation where reporters are kidnapped 
and killed in the middle of the day." 
 
-  "The one who has carved his name in history" 
 
Daily columnist Jamil Nimri writes on the back page of the 
independent, centrist Arabic daily Al-Ghad (12/16):  "The Americans 
must not feel humiliated about what happened with their president, 
but they should understand the opinion of the people in this region 
about the president who they themselves said the final word to in 
the presidential elections....  With this move, the young 
journalist, Muntather Al-Zeidi, has efficiently carved his name in 
history.  The end of Bush's era will always be remembered by this 
super symbolic scene." 
 
-  "With shoes!" 
 
Daily columnist Basem Sakijha articulates on the op-ed page of the 
center-left, pro-Palestinian Arabic daily Ad-Dustour (12/16):  "Arab 
and Muslim citizens have probably not felt for a long time such joy 
at something as they have about this scene that was repeated on 
televisions and memorized by hearts and minds: the president who 
broke their hearts, destroyed their homes and displaced their folk 
is ducking to protect himself from a pair of shoes that came 
hurtling towards him from the hand of an Arab journalist who wanted 
to record in history a stand that wipes away a stereotypical image 
often repeated by the western media.  The western media claimed that 
Iraqis had received the American army with roses and sprinkles of 
rice.  But now, no one can say that the Iraqis have bid goodbye to 
George Bush with roses, but with a pair of shoes." 
 
-  "Bush and the shoe story" 
 
Columnist Jihad Al-Momani comments on the op-ed page of the 
semi-official, influential Arabic daily Al-Rai (12/16):  "Bush had 
to endure some of the concoctions of the new democracy [in Iraq] by 
having to smile and joke after an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes 
at him but missed.  For some reason, I find myself in agreement with 
President Bush in that what happened is completely new and even rare 
in a country like Iraq and that it is one of the outputs of 
democracy that must be respected.  Had something like this happened 
in the era of any other Iraqi president, reporters would not have 
been able to go to press conferences with their shoes on ever, and 
press conferences might even have been cancelled altogether or all 
the journalists might have been executed, which is the expected 
penalty for a reporter who dares to speak out, let alone throw his 
shoes!" 
 
 
AMMAN 00003327  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
BEECROFT