VZCZCXRO0743
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #1261 1551444
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041444Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5224

UNCLAS AMMAN 001261 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL IS JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: MOSTLY POSITIVE REACTION TO PRESIDENT 
OBAMA'S SPEECH AMONG ACADEMIA, STUDENTS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY 
 
¶1. (U) Post held a viewing of President Obama's speech for 
approximately thirty students, academia, and civil society at 
the American Language Center.  The speech was followed by a 
discussion.  During the speech, the audience showed very 
little reaction, except when the Koran was quoted, which was 
met with wide approval.  Overall, the audience generally held 
a positive opinion of the speech though reaction was mixed on 
several key points of the speech.  When asked to rate the 
speech on a scale of 1 to 7, the majority rated it a 5 or 6 
with a few 4s. 
 
¶2. (U) On the whole, the audience had a favorable opinion of 
the speech.  A recurring message among the audience was 
praise for Obama's use of the Koran.  The audience felt it 
showed keen respect and understanding of the Muslim faith and 
that the Koranic reference strengthened key arguments.  One 
member of civil society even jokingly stated that, "Obama 
must have received help from the Saudi King during his 
visit."  The audience also reacted well to Obama's stand for 
women's rights and calls for greater exchanges and mutual 
cooperation. 
 
¶3. (U) Negative reaction primarily centered around Israel and 
Palestine with some wanting more specific policy points on 
key issues.  Some attendees believed that Obama's speech was 
biased towards Israel and did not give a balanced account of 
the situation.  For instance, a couple students noted that 
Obama mentioned the holocaust but not violations documented 
by human rights organizations during the Gaza crisis, 
including the use of white phosphorous.  A member of civil 
society, however, pointed out that the unbalance was a result 
of Obama "needing to send Iran a message not to mess with 
Israel, especially ahead of Iranian elections."  The lack of 
details was questioned by some in the audience, including the 
desire to hear specific actions to solve the Palestinian 
issue and a clearer definition of terrorism.  A couple 
students remarked that Obama did not clearly articulate who 
or what he meant when talking about terrorism and terrorists. 
 At times, the students felt Obama was talking about 
Palestinians generally instead of certain organizations or 
tactics.  On Iraq, there were questions whether Obama's tone 
changed from his election speeches and whether the timeline 
for withdrawal has lengthened. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶4. (U) Comment: Despite some negative reaction to parts of 
the speech, the audience recognized that there are 
limitations to what can be covered in one speech and felt the 
speech was a good first step in strengthening relations and 
working together to solve common problems.  One student 
summarized this view by stating, "it was an excellent 
speech... we just need to give Obama a chance."  They now 
wait to hear more details on the points made and to see what 
specific actions will follow. End Comment. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
Beecroft