US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4805

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004805 
 
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 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  IRAQ WEST BANK 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN BOTH THE WEST BANK 
AND IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. 
AN EDITORIAL IN "AL ITTIHAD" COMMENTED ON SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S 
STATEMENT REGARDING THE SITUATION IN IRAQ THAT WEAPONS ON THEIR 
OWN WILL NOT DEFEAT TERRORISM.  UAE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR 
DR. ABDULKAHLEQ ABDULLAH NOTED THAT SECURITY IN THE GULF IS AN 
ILLUSION IN "AL KHALEEJ".  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  NOTING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DONALD RUMSFELD'S STATEMENT 
REGARDING THE SITUATION IN IRAQ THAT WEAPONS ON THEIR OWN WILL 
NOT DEFEAT TERRORISM, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL 
ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 10/29: 
 
"... OF COURSE WEAPONS ON THEIR OWN WILL NOT DEFEAT TERRORISM, 
AND ALSO THOUGHTS AND 'BRAINS,' WHICH SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TALKED 
ABOUT, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONFRONT TERRORISM BECAUSE IMPOSING 
THOUGHTS, BRAIN-WASHING MINDS, AND ELIMINATING THE CULTURE AND 
IDENTITY OF OTHERS IS SOME KIND OF EXCESSIVENESS IN USING POWER 
AND THREATS...  THE U.S. KNOWS EXACTLY THE SUCCESSFUL PATH TO 
CONFRONT TERRORISM AND DESTROY IT FOREVER.  THIS PATH IS TO 
IMPLEMENT THE JUST AND INTERNATIONAL LEGISLATIVE STANDARDS 
WITHOUT ANY DISCRIMINATION REGARDING INTERNATIONAL ISSUES, 
ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE REGION, WHICH ARE USUALLY DECIDED UPON 
CLEARLY BY THE UN, IN ADDITION TO STOPPING THE OPPRESSION OF 
PEOPLE AND SPREADING JUSTICE, EQUALITY, AND FREEDOM, WHICH ARE 
THE PRINCIPLES THE U.S. IS CALLING FOR AND IS KNOWN TO THE WORLD 
AS THE GREATEST COUNTRY THROUGH THESE PRINCIPLES.  WHY DOESN'T 
THE U.S. IMPLEMENT THESE PRINCIPLES TO DESTROY TERRORISM?" 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON PRIME MINISTER SHARON'S INCREASING NEGATIVE 
ATTITUDE AND THE 'GROUP EXECUTION PARTIES' HE HAS BEEN ORDERING, 
SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 10/29: 
 
"... THERE IS A NEED FOR AN ARAB MEETING, A NEED FOR AN 
EXCEPTIONAL ARAB SUMMIT, WHICH WILL OPEN A NEW ERA OF PURSUING 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ARAB ISSUES, IN ORDER TO SAVE WHAT CAN BE 
SAVED BEFORE IT IS GOBBLED UP BY THE SHARONIANS." 
 
4.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "SECURITY ILLUSIONS IN THE GULF 
COUNTRIES," UAE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR DR. ABDULKHALEQ 
ABDULLAH WROTE IN "AL KHALEEJ" ON 10/28: 
 
"... THE EXISTENCE OF THE U.S. AGENDA OF INTERFERENCE AND THE 
PRESENCE OF AMERICAN TROOPS IN IRAQ AND ALL THE GULF AREA ARE 
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ABSENCE OF SECURITY IN THIS ACTIVE AREA OF 
THE WORLD... THE AMERICAN GOALS WERE KNOWN, ANNOUNCED, AND CLEAR 
IN THE PAST.  THE U.S. IS SEEKING TO CONTROL THE OIL TO GUARANTEE 
ITS FLOW IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET... OIL IS WHAT BROUGHT THE 
U.S. TO THE GULF AREA, BUT AFTER 9/11 WASHINGTON DEVELOPED ITS 
AGENDAS PAST THE NEED FOR OIL TO A MOOD OF REVENGE AGAINST ALL 
COUNTRIES OF THE REGION, ESPECIALLY IRAQ, IRAN, AND SAUDI ARABIA. 
THE U.S. IS TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO CHANGE THE GOVERNMENTS AND 
THAT'S WHAT THEY DID IN IRAQ.  IT IS ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE NEED 
TO CHANGE POLICIES AND IS PRESSURING COUNTRIES OF THE REGION 
TOWARDS THAT... IT ALSO WANTS TO IMPOSE ITSELF AS A NINTH GULF 
COUNTRY, THAT HAS THE SOVEREIGNTY RIGHTS THAT ALL THE OTHER EIGHT 
COUNTRIES HAVE AND MAYBE BECOME A MEMBER OF THE GCC... TO ACHIEVE 
SECURITY IN THE GULF, THE OCCUPATION SHOULD END AND THE AMERICAN 
TROOPS SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ AND BE REPLACED BY NATIONAL 
IRAQI TROOPS WITH TEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE.  IN THE LONG 
RUN, SECURITY IN THE GULF WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED EXCEPT IF THE 
AMERICANS WITHDRAW GRADUALLY AND STRATEGICALLY NOT ONLY FROM 
IRAQ, BUT ALSO FROM THE WHOLE REGION... MOST PROBABLY THE U.S. 
WILL NOT TAKE THIS STEP IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO 
THE SECURITY IN THE GULF BECOMING AN ILLUSION..." 
 
ALBRIGHT