US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI435

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000435 
 
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; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  NEED TO CHANGE POLICY NOT THE MEDIUM: MEDIA AND 
PERSONAL REACTION TO AL-HURRA ARABIC-LANGUAGE SATELLITE CHANNEL 
 
REF: STATE 31981 
 
1.  SUMMARY: REACTION IN THE UAE PRINT MEDIA TO THE NEW AL-HURRA 
TELEVISION CHANNEL SO FAR IS UNANIMOUS IN ITS ASSERTION THAT, 
UNLESS THE U.S. PLAYS A BALANCED ROLE IN A PEACEFUL AGREEMENT 
BETWEEN THE PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, NOTHING AMERICA DOES WILL 
SUCCEED IN CHANGING PEOPLE'S MINDS.  ONE COLUMN IN "AL-BAYAN" 
NOTES THAT THE CHANNEL WILL CONTINUE TO DISTORT ARAB ISSUES IN 
FAVOR OF ISRAEL, WHILE ANOTHER PRAISES "AL-JAZEERAH" AND "AL- 
ARABIYAH" FOR THEIR CREDIBILITY AND OBJECTIVITY AND CALL ON THE 
ARAB PEOPLE TO BOYCOTT VIEWING IT.  COMMENTS TO PA STAFF FROM 
MEDIA CONTACTS HAVE BEEN UNANIMOUSLY NEGATIVE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
____________________________________________ 
ARROGANT AND OUT OF TOUCH: PERSONAL COMMENTS 
 
2. CHIEF OF THE NEWS CENTER AT ABU DHABI TELEVISION COMMENTED "IF 
THE RHYTHM OF BROADCASTING CONTINUES LIKE THIS IT WILL MAKE BAD 
THINGS WORSE AND WORSE THING WORST.  HOWEVER, IF THEY PLAN TO 
IMPROVE AND BE WIDELY VIEWED THEY NEED TO DO THE FOLLOWING: 
 
A.  THEY HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR NEWS AGENDA.  DESPITE PROMOTION, 
THEY ARE TOO OBVIOUSLY A PROPAGANDA MACHINE.  THERE ARE ALSO TOO 
MANY TECHNICAL FAULTS, WHICH REFLECT LACK OF REHEARSAL. 
 
B.  THEY NEED TO BROADCAST 3-4 HOURS FROM THE REGION SIMPLY 
BECAUSE THE CHANNEL SEEMS OUT OF REACH.  IF YOU ARE REPORTING TO 
THIS PART OF THE WORLD YOU HAVE TO OPERATE FROM HERE. 
 
C.  THE NEWS PRESENTERS ARE WEAK WITH NO CHARISMA.  THEY NEED TO 
HAVE PRESENTERS WITH GREATER PIZZAZZ. 
 
3.  MANAGING EDITOR OF THE NEWS CENTER, ABU DHABI TELEVISION, 
SAID THAT "ANY PERSON WITH BASIC TV PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND WOULD 
REALIZE THAT THE CHANNEL'S STAFF LACK PROFESSIONALISM ESPECIALLY 
IN NEWS REPORTING, ORDER AND LEADS."  HE ADDED THAT IT DOES NOT 
TAKE A LONG TIME TO SEE THAT THE STATION WAS ESTABLISHED 
ESPECIALLY TO ADDRESS ARABS AND MUSLIMS AND TO ASK THEM TO LIKE 
ISRAEL AND APPROVE WHAT THE U.S. HAS BEEN DOING TO THE ARABS. 
EVEN PARTS OF THE PRESIDENT'S INTERVIEW REFLECT THIS WHEN HE 
VOWED TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISTS USING ALL TOOLS 
POSSIBLE AND THEN LAUNCHED "AL-HURRA" TO ADDRESS ARABS AND 
MUSLIMS."  HE CONCLUDED, "MY INITIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CHANNEL 
IS THAT IT IS REPELLING, NOT APPEALING." 
 
4.  DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL INFORMATION, UAE MINISTRY OF 
INFORMATION, NOTED, "I WAS SHOCKED TO WATCH ISRAELI YOUNG MEN AND 
WOMEN TALKING ABOUT CO-EXISTENCE WITH PALESTINIANS, PROVIDED THEY 
ABANDON TERRORISM.  THIS IS A VERY UNTRUE PICTURE OF THE STORY, 
WHICH GOES TO SHOW THAT THE CHANNEL WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE FIRST 
PLACE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE." 
 
_____________________________________________ __________________ 
CALL FOR BOYCOTT/ATTEMPTS TO BEAUTIFY U.S. IMAGE: MEDIA REACTION 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE `"AL-HURRA" LACKS HURRIYAH' (FREEDOM), 
AHMAD OMARABI WROTE IN THE DUBAI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-BAYAN" 
2/16: 
 
"THE DEGREE OF CREDIBILITY, AS MEDIA EXPERTS SAY, IS THE ONLY 
STANDARD THAT WILL DECIDE THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF THE NEW 
AMERICAN CHANNEL `AL-HURRA" WHICH WAS LAUNCHED BY THE U.S. 
GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS ARABS IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.. THE AIM OF 
THE CHANNEL IS TO IMPROVE THE U.S. IMAGE, THEREFORE, WE IN THE 
ARAB WORLD SHOULD NOT EXPECT FROM ITS POLITICAL AND NEWS PROGRAMS 
ANYTHING EXCEPT WHAT SERVES U.S. FOREIGN POLICIES TOWARDS THE 
REGION. IT IS WORTHWHILE FOR ALL ARABS TO BOYCOTT THIS SATELLITE 
CHANNEL, FOR MILLIONS OF ARABS TO STOP WATCHING IT AND THOSE 
MEDIA PERSONALITIES TO STOP WORKING FOR IT AND ARAB INTELLECTUALS 
AND POLITICIANS TO CEASE ANY COOPERATION WITH IT.  THE SUCCESS OF 
THE SUSPICIOUS ANTI-ARAB STATION IN ATTRACTING 150 MEDIA 
PERSONALITIES UNFORTUNATELY SHOWS HOW FAR WE HAVE REACHED IN THE 
DETERIORATION OF OUR CIVILIZATION.  NEVERTHELESS, I PERSONALLY 
PREDICT THAT SUCH AN AMERICAN PROJECT IS DOOMED TO FAILURE, AND 
IF THE U.S. WAS MISLED BY WHAT IT CONSIDERED THE SUCCESS OF RADIO 
SAWA, THE AWARENESS OF ARAB POLITICAL VIEWERS IS TOTALLY 
DIFFERENT FROM THE POP MUSIC AUDIENCE ADDRESSED BY SAWA.  THE 
MOUNTING POLITICAL AWARENESS IN THE ARAB WORLD EXPLAINS WHY AL- 
JAZEERAH" AND `AL-ARABIYAH" HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR AND CREDIBLE 
TO THE ARABS." 
6.  AISHA SULTAN WROTE IN HER DAILY COLUMN IN "AL-BAYAN" 2/16: 
 
".THE AMERICAN POLITICAL DECISION-MAKERS AND THOSE IN CHARGE OF 
THE CHANNEL MUST REALIZE THAT THE PROBLEM OF IRAQIS AND ARABS 
WITH THE U.S. IS NOT HUMAN, AND NOT THAT OF TECHNIQUES OF SPLASHY 
CLICHS.  THE PROBLEM IS DEEPER AND OLDER.  IT IS POLITICAL, 
ECONOMIC AND COLONIAL, BOOSTED BY THE SUPPORT OF A GROUP OF 
POLITICIANS THAT ARE BIASED TO THE BACKBONE IN FAVOR OF ISRAEL. 
AL-HURRA WILL DO NOTHING BUT DISTORT MORE FACTS AND USE FURTHER 
TACTICS AIMED AT INTEGRATING ISRAEL INTO ARAB SENTIMENTS 
FOLLOWING THE ARABS INABILITY TO DEFEAT ISRAEL.  AMERICA GOES IN 
LINE AGAINST THE ARAB MAIN CAUSE, AND THE ISSUE OF IRAQ CAME TO 
MAKE THINGS WORSE." 
7.  UNDER THE HEADLINE `"AL-HURRA" AND THE AMERICAN FAULT,' IBN 
AL-DEIRA WROTE IN HIS DAILY COLUMN IN SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB 
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" 2/16: 
 
".ONE DAY THE SIMPLE AMERICAN CITIZEN WILL WONDER WHETHER THE 
U.S. ACTUALLY NEEDED TO CHANGE ITS MEDIA TOOLS TO ADDRESS THE 
ARAB BRAIN AND SENTIMENTS INSTEAD OF CHANGING THE AMERICAN UNFAIR 
AND ARROGANT POLICIES.  WHY DO THEY HAVE TO GO SO FAR FROM 
REALITY AND COME UP WITH THE DISHONEST AND UNJUST "AL-HURRA", 
WHILE AMERICA DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT ARABS ARE BEING 
SLAUGHTERED AND HUMILIATED.  WHEN AMERICA READS THE ARAB WORLD AS 
A PIECE OF FICTION, "AL-HURRA" SHOWS NO UNDERSTANDING TOWARD THE 
ARABS WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF DICTATORSHIPS BACKED BY THOSE IN 
CHARGE OF "AL-HURRA" AND VICTIMS OF THE ISRAELI AGGRESSION..BY 
"THE MAN OF PEACE" THE NAZI SHARON, WHOSE ARSENAL IS EQUIPPED 
WITH AMERICAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS.  THE AMERICAN VISION IS 
DRASTICALLY AT FAULT.  FOLLOWING THEIR SUPPORT OF THE OCCUPATION 
AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, THE GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO DISDAIN THE 
AMERICAN BRAIN AND SENTIMENTS, DESCRIBING THE VICTIM AS TERRORIST 
AND CALLING ON THE PALESTINIAN, WHOSE LAND AND SKY ARE OCCUPIED, 
TO SELF-RESTRAINT AND ENJOY THE CULTURE OF PEACE AND 
TOLERANCE.CALLING ON THE ARABS TO FOLLOW AND ADAPT THE 
COMPREHENSION, NEWS AND IDEAS OF "AL-HURRA IS BEING IMPLEMENTED 
DISGRACEFULLY WHERE CONTRADICTIONS ARE PROMOTED.  THEY AIM TO 
SEPARATE THE NATION FROM ITS HISTORICAL IDENTITY AND THE RIGHTS 
OF ITS OWN PEOPLE." 
 
8.  COMMENTING ON THE U.S. POLICY TO BEAUTIFY ITS IMAGE IN THE 
ARAB WORLD THROUGH THE NEW "AL HURRA" SATELLITE CHANNEL, "AL- 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 02/16: 
 
"HAD THE U.S. POLICY TOWARDS THE ARAB REGION BEEN CONVINCING, IT 
WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO RESORT TO MAKE-UP ITS FACE TO SHOW ITS 
CONCERN TOWARDS ARABS AND COMMUNICATE WITH THEM THROUGH RADIO AND 
TV OFFENSIVES THAT ARE NOT VERY FAR FROM MILITARY, POLITICAL, AND 
ECONOMIC OFFENSIVES THAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, WHICH DOES NOT 
CONCEAL ITS HATRED TOWARDS ARABS IN PARTICULAR AND MUSLIMS IN 
GENERAL, HAS BEEN LAUNCHING.  THE U.S. POLICY TOWARDS THE ARAB 
REGION AND THE WORLD REQUIRES A CORRECTIVE MOVEMENT THAT WOULD 
PUT IT BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND THIS SHOULD BE BASED ON 
INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, TRUE FREEDOM, TRUE 
DEMOCRACY AND END TO THE OCCUPATION AND LETTING PEOPLE LIVE IN 
THEIR HOMELANDS IN PEACE AND DECIDING THEIR OWN DESTINY." 
 
WAHBA