Cablegate: Media Reaction: Suicide Bombings in Jordan

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

162304Z Nov 05

UNCLAS TAIPEI 004601

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - ERIC
BARBORIAK
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: SUICIDE BOMBINGS IN JORDAN

1. Summary: As major Chinese-language Taipei dailies
continued to report November 16 on the upcoming 3-in-1
elections and local scandals, coverage also focused on a
Reuters report which quoted the British Department of
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as saying more than 50
birds imported from Taiwan in September died and were found
to have been infected with the H5N1 virus. In other news,
both the pro-independence "Liberty Times" and Taiwan Daily"
carried in their inside pages a latest poll survey released
by Taiwan's Defense Ministry, which showed that 47.6 percent
of the Taiwan public supports the passage of the U.S. arms
procurement deal in the Legislative Yuan while 37.8 percent
opposes it. The centrist "China Times" and pro-unification
"United Daily News," instead of carrying Western wire
service news, are the only newspapers that provided straight
news coverage of U.S. President George W. Bush's trip to
Asia.

2. Former National Security Council Vice Secretary-General
Antonio Chiang discussed the recent suicide bombing in
Jordon in the mass-circulation "Apple Daily." According to
Chiang, if Jordon, like Iraq, also turns out to be a major
target of terrorist attacks, no other Middle East countries
will be spared from these attacks. End summary.

"Suicide Bombers in Jordan"

Antonio Chiang, former Vice Secretary-General of the
National Security Council, commented in the mass-circulation
"Apple Daily" [circulation: 500,000] (11/16):

". The Jordanian people are in general against the United
States, whereas their government is pro-U.S. The recent
suicide bombing was thus perhaps a price that the pro-U.S.
Jordanian government has to pay. Terrorist activities like
this have enraged the [Jordanian] people, who vowed to fight
the terrorists. This sort of battle against terrorism
happens to coincide with Uncle Sam's anti-terrorist position
and therefore creates an awkward situation.

"Even though Iraq is still at war now, it is also becoming a
special training center for terrorist organizations.
Various [terrorist] groups were trained in Iraq and they
started to look for targets to attack both inside Iraq and
in neighboring areas. Countries that have suffered
terrorist attacks gravely, such as Jordon and Egypt, are now
facing a tough choice between the fight against terrorism
and whether they should take a pro- or anti-U.S. position. .

"If Jordon also turns out to be a major target of terrorist
attacks, no other Middle East countries will be spared [from
the attacks]."'

PAAL

© Scoop Media