US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4479

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004479 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/P; NEA/NGA; NEA/FO; PA; 
INR/NESA; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, MOC (MHAMBLEY) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, OIIP, KPAO, TC 
SUBJECT:  CENTCOM COMMANDER GENERAL ABIZAID TELLS ABU DHABI TV 
THAT US SEEKS "TO MAKE IRAQ A BETTER PLACE" 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ON SEPTEMBER 28, US CENTRAL COMMAND COMMANDER 
GENERAL JOHN ABIZAID CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH REGIONAL ARABIC 
SATELLITE TV CHANNEL ABU DHABI TV.  DURING THE INTERVIEW, GENERAL 
ABIZAID NOTED THAT MOST OF IRAQ IS CALM, BLAMED ELEMENTS OF THE 
FORMER REGIME AND TERRORISTS FOR CURRENT UNREST, AND DISCUSSED 
REBUILDING EFFORTS IN IRAQ.  IN PARTICULAR, GENERAL ABIZAID 
DISCUSSED US MILITARY EFFORTS TO TRAIN IRAQI MILITARY, POLICE AND 
BORDER FORCES TO IMPROVE SECURITY IN IRAQ.  AS ARAB CRITICISM 
FOCUSES ON IRAQI SECURITY, GENERAL ABIZAID'S MESSAGE PROVIDED 
HARD FACTS THAT LIFE IN IRAQ IS MUCH BETTER THAN PORTRAYED BY 
SENSATIONALIST ARAB MEDIA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  DURING HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE), THE 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION (PA) AT THE US EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI 
ARRANGED AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL ABIZAID FOR ABU 
DHABI TV, AN ACTIVE COMPETITOR OF AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA.  ABU 
DHABI TV AIRED THE INTERVIEW IN ITS ENTIRETY AS THE SOLE FEATURE 
FOR ITS WIDELY-WATCHED AL MADAR NEWS PROGRAM.  SEGMENTS OF 
GENERAL ABIZAID'S INTERVIEW, RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ON SECURITY 
IN IRAQ AND WORKING WITH IRAQIS TO REBUILD THEIR COUNTRY, WERE 
PLAYED ON ABU DHABI TV'S 3 P.M., 6 P.M., AND MAIN 9 P.M. NEWS 
BROADCASTS.  ABU DHABI TV SISTER CHANNEL EMIRATES CHANNEL ALSO 
REPLAYED GENERAL ABIZAID'S THANKS TO THE UAE GOVERNMENT FOR ITS 
COOPERATION IN THE WAR ON TERROR AND SUPPORT FOR THE WARS IN IRAQ 
AND AFGHANISTAN. 
 
3.  ASKED ABOUT THE "PROBLEMS" WITH SECURITY IN IRAQ, GENERAL 
ABIZAID NOTED THAT "IN ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY, THINGS 
ARE CALM, BUT ... WE DO FACE A LEVEL OF RESISTANCE FROM FORMER 
MEMBERS OF THE BA'ATH REGIME AND ALSO SOME EXTREMISTS AND 
TERRORISTS."  ON THE REASON WHY THE MEDIA DOESN'T DEPICT THE 
SITUATION IN IRAQ ACCURATELY, GENERAL ABIZAID POINTED OUT THAT 
"ON ANY GIVEN DAY, FOR EVERY ONE COMBAT OPERATION THAT TAKES 
PLACE IN IRAQ, THERE ARE PROBABLY A HUNDRED CIVIL AFFAIRS 
OPERATIONS THAT OUR FORCES ARE RUNNING."  HE OBSERVED FURTHER 
THAT "THE MEDIA DOESN'T EVER WANT TO TACKLE THAT PART OF THE 
STORY, BUT I THINK IN THE LONG RUN THAT'S REALLY THE MOST 
IMPORTANT STORY ABOUT IRAQ.  IT'S NOT ABOUT OCCUPATION.  IT'S 
ABOUT TURNING OVER IRAQ TO THE IRAQIS, MAKING IT A BETTER PLACE, 
GIVING IT A BETTER FUTURE, AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE VERY, VERY 
PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT ENDEAVOR." 
 
4.  TO BACK UP THIS POINT, GENERAL ABIZAID NOTED THAT THE 
COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (CPA) IS WORKING "VERY, VERY HARD 
TO TURN OVER SECURITY TO THE IRAQIS."  GENERAL ABIZAID REMARKED 
THAT IRAQI BORDER POLICE ARE SERVING ON THE IRANIAN BORDER, OVER 
40,000 REGULAR POLICE OFFICERS ARE SERVING THROUGHOUT THEIR 
COUNTRY, AND THAT THE CPA IS TRAINING 20,000 IRAQI SOLDIERS AS 
THE CORE OF A NEW IRAQI ARMY.  "THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER," GENERAL 
ABIZAID SAID, "IS MOST OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES TAKING 
PLACE IN IRAQ TODAY ARE NOT BEING CONDUCTED BY AMERICANS BUT BY 
IRAQIS, AND THAT TREND WILL GROW."  CONCLUDING HIS INTERVIEW, 
GENERAL ABIZAID COMMENTED THAT "ALL OF US HAVE TO STAND TOGETHER 
AGAINST THE THINGS THAT WOULD THREATEN OUR FREEDOM.  ALL OF US, 
AMERICANS AND ARABS ALIKE, ARE AFTER WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CHILDREN 
AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH COOPERATION, THROUGH 
DIALOGUE, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING." 
 
5.  COMMENT:  WITH ARAB-AMERICAN ROOTS, GENERAL ABIZAID'S 
POSITION AND NAME PIQUE THE INTEREST OF MOST IN THE REGION.  WITH 
A FRANKNESS WELCOMED BY MANY OF PA'S ARAB INTERLOCUTORS, GENERAL 
ABIZAID LAID OUT THE FACTS AND CHALLENGED MANY MISPERCEPTIONS 
DIRECTLY ABOUT IRAQ'S INTERNAL SECURITY. 
WAHBA