US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI272

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000272 
 
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:  STATE OF THE UNION 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  LOCAL AND REGIONAL MEDIA COVERED PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS EXTENSIVELY AND EXCERPTS FROM THE 
SPEECH WERE CARRIED IN ALL LOCAL NEWSPAPERS.  ABU DHABI TV 
CARRIED THE SPEECH LIVE WITH SIMULTANEOUS ARABIC TRANSLATION, 
WHILE DUBAI TV ALSO REPORTED THE SPEECH.  EDITORIALS IN THE 
ARABIC PRESS WERE CRITICAL OF THE SPEECH.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL 
BAYAN" NOTED THAT THE STATE OF THE UNION FOCUSED ON SATISFYING 
THE ZIONIST LUBI.  ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" STATED THAT 
PRESIDENT BUSH HAS DROPPED THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT FROM HIS 
SPEECH.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "BUSH'S WARS," SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB 
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 1/22: 
 
"...THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS IN BUSH'S SPEECH THAT NEED TO BE 
DISCUSSED ARE THOSE REGARDING IRAQ, THE POWER STRATEGY THAT IS 
STILL A BASIC POLICY IN HIS DEALINGS THERE, HIS OBSESSION WITH 
WARS, THAT IS STILL AN ESSENTIAL STRATEGY, AND DROPPING THE ARAB- 
ISRAELI CONFLICT FROM HIS SPEECH, ESPECIALLY AS REGARDS 
PALESTINE...  THIS MEANS THAT THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE A 
DIFFICULT ONE FOR THE ARAB REGION, SINCE SHARON'S HANDS WILL BE 
FREE AND BUSH WILL DO WHAT HE CAN TO ADD POINTS TO HIS ELECTIONS 
CAMPAIGN, AND THE WHOLE REGION WILL BE HIS MAIN PLAYGROUND, NOT 
ONLY PALESTINE AND IRAQ." 
 
3.  NOTING THAT PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH WAS FOCUSED ON SATISFYING 
THE ZIONIST LUBI, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 1/22: 
 
"... THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH DID NOT MENTION MIDDLE EAST ISSUES, 
ESPECIALLY THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE, AND THAT IS IN ORDER TO PREVENT 
CONFLICT WITH THE ZIONIST LUBI... THE ROAD MAP, WHICH THE 
PRESIDENT WAS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT LAST YEAR, DISAPPEARED FROM 
HIS SPEECH... BUSH'S SPEECH ASSURED US CLEARLY THAT THE ARAB- 
ISRAELI CONFLICT IS NOT ONE OF THE AMERICAN POLICY PRIORITIES... 
IS THIS BECAUSE WE ARE NOW LIVING THROUGH THE AMERICAN ELECTION 
SEASON, OR IS IT THAT THE AMERICAN POLICY WILL NOT GIVE ANY 
THOUGHT AT ALL TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE?  IT IS HARD TO ANSWER 
SUCH A QUESTION EXCEPT AFTER THE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ANNOUNCED 
NEXT NOVEMBER..." 
 
4.  CRITICIZING PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH, SALEM WROTE IN "AL- 
KHALEEJ" ON 1/24: 
 
"IN THE STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH THAT PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH 
ADDRESSED TO THE CONGRESS, HE TALKED ABOUT MANY ISSUES, 
ESPECIALLY HIS VICTORIES AND HEROISM, BUT HE AVOIDED TALKING 
ABOUT THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT, ESPECIALLY THE ROAD MAP THAT 
SEEMS TO HAVE FALLEN OFF HIS AGENDA.  THE THING IS THAT BUSH IN 
THIS YEAR OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS HAS WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE 
ROAD MAP AND LEFT IT TO BE DEALT WITH ENTIRELY BY SHARON." 
 
WAHBA