US embassy cable - 03SANAA2730

UNCLAS SANAA 002730 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/PD, NEA/RA, DS/OP/NEA AND 
S/CT 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, PHUM, PTER, KISL, YM, DEMOCRATIC REFORM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION ON PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMAKRS AT THE 
NATIOANL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY (NED). 
 
NEA/PPD FOR MQUINN, JKINCANNON, TROBERTS 
 
 
1.   SUMMARY: U.S. President George W. Bush's remarks at the 
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) on November 6th have 
been mentioned in government, opposition and independent 
papers.  The opposition and independent papers, some of 
which are anti-American, published excerpts of the speech. 
Most papers carried commentary focusing primarily on "the US 
bias to Israel" which many papers believe is responsible for 
a growing anti-U.S. sentiment in the region.  Yemeni 
organizers of an international human rights/democracy 
conference set for January 4 (to be funded and jointly 
sponsored by the E.U.) are citing the speech as an important 
boost for their efforts (see reftel).END SUMMARY. 
 
2. Under the title "U.S. President calls for political 
reforms in the region and lauds the multi party system in 
Yemen," Al-Thawra official daily (11/07) published a front- 
page report covering Bush's remarks on democracy for the 
Middle East. 
 
 
3. "Al-Thawra" of 11/08 cited reactions to the speech in 
Jordan, Egypt and Iran all indicating that the main reason 
for the growing anti-US sentiments in the Arab region is 
"the total U.S. bias toward Israel." 
 
4. "Al-Thawra" published on November 11 an op-ed article 
indicating that Bush's remarks were not very much welcomed 
by the Arabs "and were received by suspicion especially with 
regard to his remarks on freedom and democracy in the Arab 
world."  The paper added that the US credibility will be 
assessed based on its policies toward Israel.  "All the 
Arabs bear no hatred toward the American people but toward 
the US political bias to Israel which made all Arabs and 
Muslims very suspicious of the U.S. policies in the region." 
Al-Thawra added that: "If the U.S. wants its policies to 
gain acceptance and support in the Arab world it has to take 
one single step which is to force Israel to withdraw from 
occupied Palestine and to comply with Security Council 
resolutions and peace accords."  "Only then" Al-Thawra added 
"Arabs will give a round of applause to President Bush's 
speech" al-Thawra concluded. 
 
5. "Al-Shura", weekly of the Popular Forces Union, (November 
9)published an op-ed titled "Bush markets democracy to the 
region" commenting specifically on Bush's remarks regarding 
the multi party system in Yemen.  Al-Shura indicated that 
"the US's growing interest in Yemen in the context of 
democracy confirms that the U.S. wants to use Yemen as a 
regional center to implement its strategy that failed in 
Iraq." 
 
6. "Annas" independent weekly (11/10) published an op-ed 
article saying that Bush has revealed in his speech "the 
US's bad intentions toward Syria and Iran."  The article 
indicated that "the proposed U.S. democratic reforms for the 
region cannot yet be implemented in countries that still 
hold political prisoners, unfair elections and high poverty 
rates."  The article rejected Bush's remarks "since the 
White House is as much corrupt as the Arab Regimes are." 
 
7. Without commenting on the content, "Al-Sahwa" weekly 
(11/13, mouthpiece of the Yemeni Congregation for Reform - 
Islah) published a major part of the speech. 
 
8. "Ra'ay" weekly (mouthpiece of the Rabita party) published 
excerpts of the speech highlighting Bush's remarks on 
democracy for the Middle East as stated in the speech such 
as: "the United States has adopted a new policy: a forward 
strategy of freedom in the Middle East that requires the 
same persistence and energy and idealism we have shown 
before ... and it will yield the same results."  The paper 
criticized the speech for ignoring "the Israeli practices 
against the Palestinians." 
MISENHEIMER