US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1059

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001059 
 
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 
LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: USEMBASSY ABU DHABI DOMINATES 
UAE MEDIA COVERAGE AT END OF MARCH 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY: DESPITE OVERWHELMINGLY BAD NEWS EMANATING FROM IRAQ 
AND ISRAEL, THE COVERAGE OF PA ACTIVITIES DURING THE LAST TWO 
WEEKS OF MARCH WAS REMARKABLE FOR ITS QUANTITY AND UPBEAT TONE. 
FOLLOWING SPECIAL MEDIA TOUR AND EXTENDED COVERAGE OF THE NEW 
EMBASSY COMPOUND EARLY IN THE MONTH, POST ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE 
VISITING AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, THE OPENING OF 
THE FIRST UAE AMERICAN STUDIES CORNER, MEDIA FOR FOUR VISITS BY 
OFFICIALS AND EX-OFFICIALS, AND PLACEMENT OF TWO OP-EDS BY DEPUTY 
SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE AND A/S MARCH GROSSMAN.  PA 
 
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ALSO HANDLED LOCAL, ARAB AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES 
DURING THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE MISSION FOLLOWING A SECURITY 
THREAT. 
 
2.  MARCH 16:  POST ARRANGED A TOUR OF THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, 
WHICH WAS VISITING THE PORT OF JEBEL ALI, FOR A GROUP OF UAE 
JOURNALISTS REPRESENTING ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES, THE 
EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY AND SATELLITE CHANNEL AL-ARABIYAH.  AL- 
ARABIYAH CARRIED A 5-MINUTE REPORT BASED ON THE VISIT ON THE MAIN 
EVENING NEWSCAST WHICH WAS REPEATED THREE TIMES.  ALL ARABIC AND 
ENGLISH DAILIES CARRIED PROMINENT STORIES WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, 
GIVING UP TO 3/4 PAGE TO THE SHIP VISIT. 
 
3. MARCH 20:  POST PLACED THE OP-ED BY DEPUTY SECRETARY RICHARD 
ARMITAGE IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL 
ITTIHAD" ON 03/21.  THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION IN IRAQ 
AND NOTED THAT IN THE PRESENT WAR AGAINST TERRORISM, WINNING THE 
HEARTS AND MINDS IS AS IMPORTANT AS WINNING THE MILITARY BATTLES. 
 
4. MARCH 20: PA ARRANGED A ONE-ON-ONE FOR WILLIAM LASH, ASSISTANT 
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR MARKET ACCESS AND COMPLIANCE WITH 
 
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SHARJAH-BASED PAN-ARAB DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" AND DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH 
DAILY "GULF NEWS" ON 3/21.  IN ADDITION, HE APPEARED ON A TV 
INTERVIEW ON THE DUBAI BUSINESS CHANNEL.  IN HIS INTERVIEW WITH 
"AL KHALEEJ," ASSISTANT SECRETARY LASH NOTED THAT THE GULF 
INVESTMENTS IN THE U.S. WERE NOT AFFECTED NEGATIVELY BY 9/11 AND 
ALSO POINTED OUT THAT GULF INVESTMENTS IN THE U.S. HAVE INCREASED 
LATELY.  HE ALSO ENCOURAGED GULF INVESTERS TO INVEST IN IRAQ. 
DURING HIS PRESENTATION THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY PRAISED THE UAE 
ECONOMY AND THE OPEN INVESTMENT ATMOSPHERE THAT IS PROVIDED TO 
THE INVESTERS BY THE UAEG. 
 
5. MARCH 21:  PA ARRANGED A TELEVISION INTERVIEW FOR ASSISTANT 
SECRETARY WILLIAM BURNS WITH ABU DHABI TELEVISION, WHICH WAS 
 
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AIRED ON THE SAME DAY, AND A ONE-ON-ONE WITH ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI- 
GOVERNMENT ARABIC DAILY "AL ITTIHAD."  AT BOTH EVENTS, AMBASSADOR 
BURNS REITERATED U.S. COMMITMENT TO BRING ABOUT PEACE TO THE 
MIDDLE EAST BASED ON THE ROADMAP AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISION FOR 
ISRAEL AND PALESTINE TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH EACH OTHER. 
 
6. MARCH 22: PA ARRANGED A VISIT FOR 21 JUNIOR UAE DIPLOMATS FROM 
THE UAE INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY TO THE NEW U.S. EMBASSY IN ABU 
DHABI.  THIS WAS THEIR FIRST VISIT TO ANY FOREIGN MISSION.  THE 
DIPLOMATS (THE GROUP INCLUDED 7 WOMEN) MET WITH AMBASSADOR 
MARCELLE WAHBA, LISTENED TO PRESENTATIONS BY VARIOUS HEADS OF 
SECTION AT THE EMBASSY, HAD LUNCH IN THE CAFETERIA AND TOURED THE 
NEWLY DEDICATED EMBASSY COMPUND, ENDING WITH AN EXPLANATION OF 
CONSULAR PROCEDURES.  PA WORKED WITH THE MEDIA COORDINATOR AT THE 
INSTITUTE AND SENT A PRESS RELEASE TO THE LOCAL MEDIA WHICH WAS 
PUBLISHED IN ALL ARABIC DAILIES ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. 
 
7.  MARCH 23: PA ARRANGED A PRESS ROUNDTABLE AND A ONE-ON-ONE 
WITH ABU DHABI TELEVISION WITH AMBASSADOR RONALD NEUMANN, THE 
DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT THE CPA IN IRAQ.  COVERAGE OF 
NEUMANN'S REMARKS WAS CARRIED IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES 
AND THE REGIONAL NESPAPER "AL-HAYAT".  ABU DHABI TELEVISION 
CARRIED LENGTHY EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW ON THE MAIN NEWSCAST 
AND ON THEIR EVENING NEWS PROGRAM. 
 
8.  MARCH 24: PA PLACED OP-ED BY A/S MARC GROSSMAN IN THE ARABIC 
DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD". 
 
9.  MARCH 24 AND MARCH 27: PA SENT OFFICIAL STATEMENT ANNOUNCING 
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF ACTIVITIES OF THE EMBASSY DUE TO A 
SECURITY THREAT.  STATEMENT RE-OPENING THE EMBASSY CARRIED IN 
MARCH 27 PAPERS.  ALL LOCAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA 
CARRIED ARTICLES AND HIGHLIGHTED EMBASSY THANKS TO UAE GOVERNMENT 
FOR SWIFT REACTION AND EXCELLENT COOPERATION. 
 
10.  MARCH 27: PAO AND PA STAFF ACCOMPANIED AMBASSADOR WAHBA TO 
THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE AMERICAN STUDIES CORNER AT THE UAE 
UNIVERSITY.  PA PREPARED FACT SHEETS, BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND 
THE AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS BOTH IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH AND 
DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA.  COVERAGE IN THE FOLLOWING 
DAY WAS UNPRECEDENTED.  ALL ARABIC AND TWO ENGLISH DAILIES 
CARRIED PROMINENT PHOTOS AND STORIES ON THE OPENING. 
 
11. MARCH 27: PA ARRANGED A PRESS ROUNDTABLE WITH REPRESENTATIVES 
OF THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND A ONE-ON-ONE WITH ABU DHABI 
TELEVISION FOR AMBASSADOR DAVID MACK, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE 
MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE. 
12.  MARCH 27: PA TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE VISIT OF JEAN ABI NADER, 
THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE ARAB-AMERICAN INSTITUTE TO THE UAE. 
POST ARRANGED A PRESENTATION AT THE DUBAI PRESS CLUB FOR MEMBERS 
OF THE UAE MEDIA, DURING WHICH HE EXPLAINED THE GROWING ROLE OF 
ARAB AMERICANS IN AMERICAN POLITICS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THE 
UPCOMING PRESENTIAL ELECTIONS.  A TELEVISION INTERVIEW WITH THE 
NEWS SATELLITE CHANNEL AL-ARABIYAH WAS ALSO ARRANGED. 
 
WAHBA