I read this the other day on Ammon and fortunately a few bloggers had already blogged about it on the Jordanian blogosphere. According to the local news site, two of McCain’s primary political advisers, Kagan and Kristol, have said that McCain will be declaring Jordan as a Palestinian state pretty soon, which is an option that is as viable as the US declaring Mexico as their 51st state.
However, apparently Kagan is denying such reports and even New York University (NYU), where it was said Kagan made these remarks, denies that Kagan ever spoke at the university to begin with. Now here’s what I found particularly interesting. The report on Ammon is said to be originally generated from an Israeli blog, which Kagan, in an email sent to the government, discredits as untrue, as reported in this Jordan Times article.
“The reason you are not finding anything online is that I did not give such a lecture. I did not give any lecture in New York and I have not said anything about Jordan,” Kagan said.
He added: “In fact I have never spoken at NY University before in my life. I don’t know what this guy [the blogger] is talking about. I hope you will pass this information on to everyone who raises this issue.” [source]
The same article went on to call Ammon “a widely read tabloid-like news site”, which I thought was funny because I think Ammon, even with this gaffe, is still seen as more credible than any local news source out there, and I’m also thinking their readership probably gives the Jordan Times a run for their money as well. That being said, I should also note that the Jordan Times is, as far as I know, wrong in labeling the blog (the original source for Ammon) as an Israeli blog, when it is in actuality an anti-Israeli blog called Filkka Israel. You can see their original report here. Granted, it is a bit of a sketchy blog but that’s up to the reader to decide. Saying that Ammon – a right-wing Islamically-oriented site – is quoting an Israeli blog, and calling them tabloid-like, is a pretty propagandist attack if you ask me, in attempt to discredit it.
Anyways…
The Foreign Ministry seems to be fighting back these allegations after launching their own little investigation, to which Ammon responded to today. It’s interesting to see that both the Foreign Ministry and Ammon are handling this situation pretty poorly, to say nothing of the local mainstream media.
I don’t think the Foreign Ministry should’ve played an active role, especially in the shape of a Minister being given a microphone, and at the same time, I think Ammon should admit its fault and retract the story if its proven to be wrong or its source questionable.
It’s funny because this is the opposite of the impressions I get every time I read Ammon!
To me, they are the worst in terms of credibility. They plagiarized the text of an entire article once without citing where they got it from. I had found that same text on an older blog entry. Also, publishing this “story” based on a blog that is more than questionable without even giving their readers the opportunity to go to the original source of the story and judging for themselves is I think sufficient to put them at the bottom of the list at this point.
I agree our ministry shouldn’t have to defend a US presidential candidate, and I agree Ammon should admit their mistake, but I don’t agree that they are more credible than any local news source out there.
“I don’t think the Foreign Ministry should’ve played an active role, especially in the shape of a Minister being given a microphone, and at the same time, I think Ammon should admit its fault and retract the story if its proven to be wrong or its source questionable.”
I do agree!
Ammon… you ought to have learned that checking the reliability of your sources is the key to your own credibility!!
We should really be brave and try another type of reaction to this useless stuff – like: IGNORE IT.
For as long as my memory holds this Jordan as Pal state spews out intentionally and sensationalized from someone, somewhere. It is neither true, nor practical, nor acceptable. We know that.
U know how at times when ur taking a walk and there’s a bit of dog poo ahead u simply avoid it, don’t hesitate and continue? It’s confidence. About not sweating the small stuff. Simply stepping over the bullshit.
Ignorance. Laziness. Hatred. That’s not who we want to be!! We have serious challenges to deal with and a lot of potentially good energy to invest – let that fuel us and consume our time and space.
We are so much better than getting tangled in this non-topic distraction over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Ussit bree2 il zeit! Time to move on. Let the ignoramuses bathing in deteriorating corridors be left behind with their useless monologues.
Oh, and the media and communication strategy/efforts/mouth pieces/attempts/whatever of our lovely country have a long way to go! But that’s a whole other topic and probably one of the dire challenges that should really be on our priority list!
Isn’t it time to upgrade the conversation?
hey! I blogged about it too http://jordanian-observations.blogspot.com/2008/06/mccain-to-declare-jordan-as-new_16.html
LOL
Hamzeh: “but I don’t agree that they are more credible than any local news source out there.” let me adjust my words to say that they are perceived to be more credible (by the average well-informed jordanian).
secratea: i dont think they heard you…speak louder 😀
AM: that seems to be the best solution. it always seems that anyone who ever mentions the jordanian option has very little knowledge about this region, or a total disregard for the historical elements.
Farah: lol mashallah, less than a month old and still on top of things! that’s what i’m talkin about…keep it up!
Ammoon news agency is a Mokabarat-run tabloid website…period.
Ammoon does as much journalism as a guy sitting in a coffee shop, receiving bogus news from “security devices” sources that even the daily newspapers thought were too inaccurate. The pathetic nature of Jordanian media was carried right over to the cyberspace, and all these so-called news agencies are nothing more than childish forums looking for a 150-JD banner ad.
Now as for the story above, anyone from Hajjaj to Farah above to the 10,000 columnist and political and tribal leaders who bothered to even comment , let alone have patriotic seizures over the past few days, should be seriously ashamed of themselves. Because:
1. The alleged Kagan statement was obviously false. Anyone who bothered to do a google search in Arabic or English would easily realise the only references to it where in Jordanian “media”. Actually a 45-minute search in English lead to two results: Batir Wardam’s english language website and some message board that misspelled Cagan..
I was one second away from emailing Kagan to verify the statement…when I realised:
2. What is the big deal? Seriously, anytime some schmuck makes a point about Jordan’s legitimacy as a state, everyone and their mothers are screaming hell trying to defend Jordan’s integrity, independence, history, legitimacy ….as if these things ARE questionable. Jordan is not Palestine is trivial and barely worth going in a crisis mode over it, especially when it comes from anyone short of the President himself, and especially when it is False.
This circus with all the clowns that played along is a part of a known old game. Playing on the Palestinian-Jordanian issue is the regime’s trick to sustain its existence.
“It is okay that all Jordanians from all roots and origins are going to be starving soon…let’s focus on the stuff that matters…Palestinians are taking over your country…and that’s why you need to rally around your Lord and saviour, without questioning anything that his policies has lead to. As for you, the other half, mind your own business you are going home soon anyway. One more word and I would take away your passports. If anyone needs me I would be in Marbella. And yeah…here is 50JDs for everybody “.
Ammoon’s latest campaigns against that Awaddallah schmuck and against the so-called foreign minister are steps in that direction and with the mounting discontent within the traditional support base of the regime, expect more and more of these stories that will definitely divert the attention from the real issues shared by all the citizens, to the issues that will divide them.
not too long ago mccain declared jerusalem the capital of israel during a visit to amman
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/middle_east_news/newsid_7303000/7303568.stm
musa you are talking sense.
what about the Palestinian refugees right of return that israel refuse to grant. isnt this where the road map negociations are stuck? do you know what is the number of refugees that can go back if given a green light? 5 million Palestinians around the world. 4.5 are in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. where 1.3 million live in 12 camps. Israel definitely dont want to let them go back,, it would allow holding a state in Gaza and the West Bank but would not allow refugees to go back, it will definitely restrict numbers (check palestinian population figures) and ask for no return agreement for refugees in the neighboring countries as a pre condition.
Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land?
All fear, none aid you, and few understand.
–Pope’s Essay on Man
Ammon is absolutely disgusting, and i really think that it should be shut down… Although that would stand against freedom of speech and media, but seriously, they are just too much! and what is really disturbing is that the average jordanian actually buys the crap they are selling.
Musa, interesting point of view…
الØقيقة إن دولتان ستزولان من الوجود أولهما الأردن ثم تليها إسرائيل
هذا ØÙ‚ لامناص منه Ùأعدوا العدة