US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI5367

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 005367 
 
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 AND MOC; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  THE GCC SUMMIT IRAQ 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE GCC SUMMIT IN KUWAIT AND THE SITUATION IN IRAQ 
FOLLOWING THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN DOMINATED COVERAGE IN UAE 
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  IN HIS "AL ITTIHAD" COLUMN, 
DR.SHAMLAN AL EISSA EXPLAINS THE CHALLENGES FACING GCC COUNTRIES 
BUT ENCOURAGES THESE COUNTRIES TO CONFRONT THESE PROBLEMS.  AN 
EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT GULF NATIONALS ARE LOOKING 
TO THIS SUMMIT WITH HOPE AND AMBITION.  A "GULF NEWS" EDITORIAL 
URGED GCC AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES TO PUT ASIDE THEIR CRITICISMS 
OF THE US AND HELP THE NEW IRAQI LEADERSHIP.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "GULF CHALLENGES," COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN 
YOUSEF AL EISSA WROTE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL 
ITTIHAD" ON 12/21: 
 
"... THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT ISSUE PUT FORWARD IN THE SUMMIT SHOULD 
THE ISSUE OF SECURITY, WHICH IS AN INTERNAL ISSUE ... ALTHOUGH 
THE SECURITY ISSUE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GULF COUNTRIES, THERE ARE 
MANY FUNDAMENTAL CONFLICTS ON HOW TO CONFRONT THIS PROBLEM ..." 
 
"THE SECOND SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IS IRAQ, SINCE THE GCC COUNTRIES 
ANNOUNCED THEIR CONCERN REGARDING IRAQI SECURITY AND STABILITY 
... HOWEVER, THE GCC COUNTRIES DON'T HAVE A UNIFIED GULF POSITION 
REGARDING IRAQ; EVERY GULF COUNTRY HAS ITS OWN VIEW ... UNTIL 
THIS MOMENT, THE GCC COUNTRIES DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF 
WHAT THEY WANT FROM A NEW IRAQ.  DO THEY WANT A DEMOCRATIC 
GOVERNMENT OR DO THEY WANT THE PREVIOUS REGIME BACK?  AND DO THEY 
ACCEPT THE FEDERAL IDEA PUT FORWARD TO IRAQIS? ... IF THE NEW 
IRAQ IS STABLE, THEN THE GCC COUNTRIES WILL BE STABLE AND WILL 
BENEFIT MORE FROM RE-BUILDING IRAQ, BUT IF CONFLICTS RISE AND 
CIVIL WAR OCCURS IN IRAQ THEN WE WILL BE THE FIRST AFFECTED. 
THIS IS WHY THE GULF SUMMIT IS REQUESTED TO IDENTIFY A CLEAR 
IRAQI STANCE." 
 
"ON THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, THE GCC COUNTRIES ARE FACING 
INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE FROM THE U.S., WHO DEMANDS THAT THE GCC 
COUNTRIES IMPLEMENT POLITICAL REFORM FOR THE EXPANSION OF 
NATIONAL COOPERATION, GIVING WOMEN POLITICAL RIGHTS, AND GETTING 
RID OF CORRUPTION ... ON THE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL LEVEL, 
THERE ARE DEMANDS TO CHANGE THE CURRICULUM ... WE HOPE THAT THE 
LEADERS OF THE GCC COUNTRIES MEETING IN KUWAIT REALIZE THE 
DANGERS OF THESE CHALLENGES AND PRESENT THEIR VIEWS ON HOW TO 
RESOLVE THEM." 
 
3.  NOTING THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE GULF HAVE THEIR AMBITIONS SET 
ON THE GCC SUMMIT IN KUWAIT, SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL- 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/22: 
 
"... THE GULF NATIONAL LONGS FOR MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT 
EMPHASIZE THE UNITY OF GOALS, DESTINY, AND BENEFITS.  HE WANTS 
ECONOMIC AND MONETARY GULF UNITY, HE WANTS A UNIFIED PASSPORT, HE 
WANTS A WATER AND ELECTRICITY CONNECTION, HE WANTS A UNIFIED AND 
DEVELOPED CURRICULUM ... OF COURSE, THESE MISSIONS ARE NOT EASY, 
BUT THEY SHOULD BE DEALT WITH SERIOUSLY BECAUSE THE GULF NATIONAL 
IS LOOKING TO THIS SUMMIT WITH HOPE FOR MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS 
ALIGNED WITH THESE AMBITIONS." 
 
4.  POINTING OUT THAT THE GCC HAS SURVIVED DIFFICULT TIMES IN THE 
REGION, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 
12/22: 
 
"... IT IS NOT EXAGGERATING TO SAY THAT THE GCC SURVIVED A PERIOD 
OF CHANGES AND CHALLENGES DURING THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES IN THE 
PREVIOUS DECADE, AND THE FALSITY OF THE BET THAT THE ITS ROLE 
WILL ONLY BE REGIONAL AND WILL DIMINISH AMONG THE ARAB SIDE WAS 
PROVEN ... THE KUWAIT SUMMIT WILL PRODUCE A SIGN OF HOPE FOR A 
BRIGHT ARAB TOMORROW WITHOUT HOLLOW SLOGANS." 
 
5.  URGING GCC AND OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES TO FOCUS ON ASSISTING 
IRAQ'S NEW LEADERSHIP, DUBAI-BASED EXPATRIATE-ORIENTED "GULF 
NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 12/20: 
 
"THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THIS WEEK'S ANNUAL SUMMIT OF THE 
GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL IS WHAT SUPPORT THE SIX GULF STATES WILL 
GIVE TO THE EMERGING GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ ... THERE HAS BEEN A LOT 
OF CONCERN IN THE ARAB WORLD OVER AMERICA'S RIGHT TO LEAD THE 
ATTACK ON SADDAM'S IRAQ.  THIS REMAINS A VITAL ISSUE FOR THE 
WORLD AS A WHOLE, AND FOR THE ARAB WORLD WHEN DEALING WITH 
AMERICA, BUT IT IS NOT RELEVANT WHEN DEALING WITH THE NEW IRAQ 
LEADERSHIP.  THEY WILL BE TAKING ON THE HUGE JOB OF RECREATING 
THEIR COUNTRY AFTER DECADES OF REPRESSION, AND ANY RESENTMENT 
TOWARD THE COALITION SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN OUT AGAINST THE IRAQIS." 
 
WAHBA