US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI3973

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003973 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; 
INR/NESA; INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, MHAMBLEY; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  ASSASSINATION OF AYATOLLAH MUHAMAD 
BAQR AL HAKIM 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE ASSASSINATION OF AYATOLLAH MUHAMAD BAQR AL 
HAKIM IN NAJAF, IRAQ, THE UAE'S OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING THE 
ASSASSINATION, AND THE SITUATION IN THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN THE UAE MEDIA.  EDITORIALS IN "AL KHALEEJ," 
"AL ITTIHAD," AND "AKHBAR AL ARAB" COMMENTED ON THE SITUATION IN 
IRAQ FOLLOWING AYATOLLAH AL HAKIM'S ASSASSINATION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  THE UAE'S OFFICIAL STATEMEMNT REGARDING THE ASSASSINATION OF 
AYATOLLAH AL HAKIM WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY 8/31, CARRIED FULL 
TEXT IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES, AND READS AS FOLLOWS: 
 
"THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HAS TOTALLY CONDEMNED THE CRIMINAL 
ATTACK WHICH LED TO THE KILLING OF AYATOLLAH MOHAMMED BAQIR AL 
HAKIM AND A NUMBER OF INNOCENT IRAQIS IN NAJAF LAST FRIDAY, AN 
OFFICIAL SOURCE FROM THE UAE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID.  THIS 
CRIMINAL ATTACK, WHICH OCCURRED IN ONE OF MUSLIMS' MOST SACRED 
PLACES AND ON THE IMAM OF THE MOSQUE OF IMAM ALI BIN ABI TALIB, 
IS AN ATTACK ON ALL MUSLIMS AND A DESECRATION OF THE HOLY SHRINE 
AND VALUES OF MUSLIMS.  IT IS ALSO A FUTILE ATTEMPT TO SOW THE 
SEED OF DISCORD AND CONFLICT AMONG THE IRAQI PEOPLE, THE SOURCE 
SAID." 
 
"THE SOURCE ADDED THAT THE ATTACK DID NOT ONLY TARGET AYATOLLAH 
BAQIR AL HAKIM BUT ALSO AIMED AT KILLING THE ASPIRATIONS OF THE 
IRAQI PEOPLE FOR A BETTER FUTURE BY DESTROYING THE SINCERE 
EFFORTS TOWARDS NATIONAL UNITY IN IRAQ AND THE EFFORTS OF THE 
COUNTRY'S SINCERE SONS AND DAUGHTERS TO RESTORE SECURITY AND 
STABILITY THROUGHOUT IRAQ." 
 
"THE SOURCE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE IN THE ABILITY OF THE IRAQI 
PEOPLE, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE IRAQI RULING COUNCIL, TO 
OVERCOME THIS ORDEAL BY SAFEGUARDING THE NATIONAL UNITY OF IRAQ 
SO AS TO DENY THE MISCHIEVOUS CRIMINALS, WHO ARE TOYING WITH 
IRAQ'S SECURITY AND STABILITY, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE THEIR 
MISCHIEVOUS OBJECTIVE. THE SOURCE PRAYS TO GOD TO GRANT THE SOUL 
OF AYATOLLAH BAQIR AL HAKIM AND THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE 
ATTACK PERFECT PEACE AND TO PROTECT IRAQ AND ITS PEOPLE FROM ALL 
EVILS." 
 
3.  ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF THE ASSASSINATION OF AYATOLLAH AL 
HAKIM ON IRAQ AND THE IRAQI PEOPLE, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY 
"AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 9/01: 
 
"... YESTERDAY, THE UAE CONFIRMED THAT THIS UGLY CRIME TARGETED 
NOT ONLY AYATOLLAH AL HAKIM BUT ALSO ASSASSINATED THE ASPIRATIONS 
OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE FOR A BETTER FUTURE, AND THAT WAS BY STRIKING 
ITS (IRAQ'S) NATIONAL UNITY AND THE EFFORTS OF ITS LOYAL PEOPLE 
TO RE-ESTABLISH STABILITY AND SECURITY ... THESE POSITIONS (OF 
AYATOLLAH AL HAKIM) ARE WHAT THE COMMITTERS OF THE NAJAF MASSACRE 
TARGETED.  THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE INSTABILITY WHICH IRAQ IS 
DROWNING IN BECAUSE OF THE OCCUPATION'S DELIBERATE DELAY IN 
HANDING OVER THE COUNTRY TO THE IRAQIS.  ABDULAZIZ AL HAKIM 
DESCRIBED THIS STRATEGY YESTERDAY AS INEFFECTIVE AND IT IS 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BLOODSHED IN IRAQ ..." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN IRAQ, ABU DHABI-BASED 
SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 9/01: 
 
"... THE ONLY COLORFUL PICTURE AMONG ALL THESE NEGATIVES IS THE 
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE PREVIOUS REGIME AND ALL ITS MANIFESTATIONS 
... THERE IS NO ARGUMENT THAT THE SOONER THE IRAQIS HANDLE THEIR 
OWN ISSUES THE SOONER THE DANGERS THAT THREATEN THEIR COUNTRY 
WILL MINIMIZE ... THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNING COUNCIL, WHICH HAS 
BEEN FORMED A MONTH AGO, HAS PROVEN THAT THE IRAQIS ARE ABLE TO 
RULE THEMSELVES WITHOUT ANY GUARDIANSHIP ..." 
 
5.  ASSERTING THAT THE NAJAF MASSACRE MAY LEAD TO CIVIL WAR IN 
IRAQ, ABU DHABI-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AKHBAR AL ARAB" 
EDITORIALIZED 9/01: 
 
"... THIS (THE ASSASSINATION) WILL LEAD THE COUNTRY INTO A 
HURRICANE OF CRAZY VIOLENCE JUST LIKE THE CIVIL WARS IN LEBANON 
AND AFGHANISTAN THAT WILL PREVENT THE COUNTRY FROM ESCAPING THIS 
BLIND VIOLENCE, AND ALL THE COUNTRY'S RESOURCES WILL BE DESTROYED 
IN THIS HURRICANE ..." 
 
ALBRIGHT