US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4366

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004366 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/P; 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, MOC MHAMBLEY; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  QUARTET IRAQ 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE RECENT MEETINGS OF THE QUARTET AND THE 
SITUATION IN IRAQ AND THE PALESTININAN TERRITORIES DOMINATED 
COVERAGE IN THE UAE MEDIA.  "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED ON THE 
ELECTORAL DILEMMAS FACING US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH AND UK PRIME 
MINISTER TONY BLAIR DUE TO THE WAR WITH IRAQ.  AN "AL BAYAN" 
EDITORIAL CRITICIZED THE US DECISION TO ALLOW ISRAEL THE RIGHT TO 
"DEFEND ITSELF."  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" LAUDED US EFFORTS 
TO ALLOW THE UN MORE AUTHORITY IN IRAQ.  RESPONDING TO SECRETARY 
POWELL'S CALL FOR AN IRAQI CONSTITUTION IN 6 TO 12 MONTHS, A 
"GULF NEWS" EDITORIAL ASSERTED MORE TIME, CARE, AND THOUGHT ARE 
NEEDED FOR SUCH A MAJOR UNDERTAKING.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  COMMENTING ON IRAQ WAR'S IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ELECTORAL HOPES 
OF US PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH AND UK PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR, 
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 9/29: 
 
"... WHAT WE MEAN IS THAT GEORGE BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION (AND TONY 
BLAIR'S) IGNORED PUBLIC OPINION FOR A VERY LONG TIME AFTER BEING 
DOMINATED BY THE WAR HAWKS, WHOSE AIMS WERE TO TAKE REVENGE ON 
ALL ARABS AND MUSLIMS AND TO SERVE THE ZIONIST ENTITY AND ITS 
AMBITIONS NOT ONLY IN PALESTINE BUT ALSO IN THE WHOLE ARAB REGION 
... DESPITE THE SNOBBISHNESS OF A NUMBER OF LEADERS IN BUSH'S 
ADMINISTRATION (AND BLAIR'S), BETS ARE STILL ON THE SIDE OF GOOD 
REPRESENTED BY FRANCE, RUSSIA, GERMANY, AND CHINA TO A CERTAIN 
POINT.  THEY WILL GUARANTEE A STRENGTHENING THE OCCUPIER'S 
DILEMMA AND WILL CLOSE THE ROAD IN FRONT OF BUSH FOR A SECOND 
ELECTION AND BLAIR FOR A THIRD, AND THIS WILL ALLOW THE WORLD TO 
BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF." 
 
3.  CRITICIZING THE US DECISION TO GIVE ISRAEL THE RIGHT TO 
DEFEND ITSELF, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" 
EDITORIALIZED 9/28: 
 
"... WHOEVER READS THE QUARTET'S STATEMENT THAT WAS ANNOUNCED 
RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING IN THE UN HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK 
YESTERDAY WILL DISCOVER THAT INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE HAS GONE DEAF 
AND BLIND.  THIS COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PEACE 
PROJECT CALLED THE 'ROADMAP' THAT WAS DESTROYED BY SHARON AND HIS 
MASSACRES AND CRIMES, IS EQUATING THE VICTIMIZER WITH THE VICTIM, 
AS PALESTINIAN POLITICIANS SAY ... BUT EVEN IF THE TRUTH IS LOST 
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS UNABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE 
BETWEEN THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT AND THE ISRAELI WRONG, THE INTIFADA 
WILL ALWAYS BE A RIGHT FOR THE PALESTINIANS, AND WHOEVER IGNORES 
THIS SHOULD READ INTERNATIONAL LAWS THAT EMPHASIZE NATIONS' 
RIGHTS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND DETERMINE THEIR SOVEREIGNTY." 
 
4.  LAUDING THE AMERICAN DECISION TO ALLOW THE UN A ROLE IN IRAQ, 
ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 9/28: 
 
"THE DECISION OF THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION TO ALLOW THE UN MORE 
AUTHORITY IN THE ELECTIONS AND THE TRANSITIONAL POLITICAL PHASE 
IN POST-WAR IRAQ, INDICATES A BIG CHANGE IN WASHINGTON'S ATTITUDE 
THAT SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AS AN INTERNATIONAL ATTITUDE ... IT'S 
TIME TO PUT ALL PREVIOUS CONFLICTS ASIDE AND DEAL WITH A NEW 
SPIRIT AND A WAY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS IN THE PAST, IN 
ORDER TO SAVE THE IRAQI PEOPLE ..." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "THE FALL OF THE QUARTET," "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 9/28: 
 
"... THE QUARTET SHATTERED OUR HOPES AFTER THEY DECIDED TO STAND 
BEHIND THE AMERICAN POSITION TO LABEL ISRAEL INNOCENT OF ALL 
TERRORIST ATTACKS AND THE WAR OF DEMOLITION IT HAS BEEN 
COMMITTING AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.  IT (THE QUARTET) 
CONSIDERS ALL THIS TO BE 'THE RIGHT TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST 
TERRORIST ATTACKS COMMITTED AGAINST THEIR PEOPLE' ... IN SUCH 
CIRCUMSTANCES, THE QUARTET IS BETTER OFF TO PULL OUT FROM THIS 
MAP ... OR THEY SHOULD NOT PUT THEMSELVES IN THIS AWKWARD 
SITUATION THAT WILL LEAD TO THE LOSS OF THEIR CREDIBILITY ..." 
 
6.  UNDER THE HEADLINE, "UNSEEMLY RUSH TO WRITE A STATUTE," 
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 
9/28: 
 
"THE SIX-MONTH TIME FRAME SUGGESTED BY US SECRETARY OF STATE 
COLIN POWELL FOR THE IRAQI PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT TO PRODUCE A 
CONSTITUTION IS VERY SHORT.  IT ALSO IMPLIES THAT A READY-MADE 
CONSTITUTION, COMPILED BY PRO-AMERICAN IRAQIS AND CONSTITUTIONAL 
EXPERTS, HAS ALREADY BEEN HAMMERED OUT AND MERELY NEEDS THE 
"BLESSING" OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT AND AUTHORITY ... THE 
IRAQIS ARE WELL ABLE TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN CONSTITUTIONAL 
REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT WILL NEED MUCH NEGOTIATION TO TAKE ACCOUNT 
OF THE DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPINGS AND TRIBES IN THE COUNTRY.  A 
'READY-MADE' WESTERN-STYLE CONSTITUTION WILL NOT SIT WELL WITH 
THE IRAQIS, WHICH IS WHY LENGTHY NEGOTIATIONS INVOLVING ALL 
INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE PLACE." 
 
WAHBA