US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1337

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001337 
 
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 FOR MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: DEPUTY SECRETARY RICHARD ARMITAGE'S VISIT 
TO THE UAE, APRIL 20-21 
 
 
1. SUMMARY: UAE'S PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA ALL REPORTED THE VISIT 
OF DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE TO THE UAE APRIL 20- 
21 AND HIS MEETINGS WITH UAEG OFFICIALS.  COVERAGE WAS 
STRAIGHTFORWARD WITH NO EDITORIALS OR COMMENTS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  THE VISIT TO THE UAE APRIL 20-21 BY DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE, 
RICHARD ARMITAGE RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE IN ALL UAE'S PRINT 
AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  ON THE DAY OF HIS ARRIVAL, THE UAE 
SATELLITE CHANNEL SHOWED A SNIP OF HIS MEETING WITH RASHED 
ABDULAH AL-NUAIMI, UAE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. 
 
3.  ON THE FOLLOWING DAY, ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILIES 
REPORTED THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER AL- 
NUAIMI WITH PHOTOS.  THE PAPERS ALSO REPORTED THE ARRIVAL WHERE 
D/S WAS MET BY UAE FOREIGN MINISTRY U/S ABDULLAH RASHED AND U.S. 
AMBASSADOR MARCELLE WAHBA. 
 
SAMPLE HEADLINES: 
-- SHARJAH-BASED AND UAE'S LARGEST CIRCULATION ARABIC DAILY "AL- 
KHALEEJ" 4/21 HEADLINED:  "THE U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE 
VISITED QATAR.  RASHED ABDULLAH REVIEWS WITH ARMITAGE THE 
DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ AND THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES." 
(CICULATION 75,000) 
 
-- ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" 
HEADLINED:  "RASHED ABDULLAH REVIEWS WITH ARMITAGE THE LATEST 
DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ AND PALESTINE."  (CIRCULATION 55,000) 
 
4.  THE UAE SATELLITE CHANNEL IN ABU DHABI, DUBAI TV AND SHARJAH TV 
FEATURED HIS MEETING WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYID AL-NAHYAN, ABU 
DHABI CROWN PRINCE AND DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE UAE ARMED FORCES 
AND SHEIKH MUHAMMAD BIN ZAYID AL-NAHYAN, DEPUTY CROWN PRINCE AND 
CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE UAE ARMED FORCES.  THE ANNOUNCER READ 
SHEIKH KHALIFA'S STATEMENT, WHICH WAS CARRIED THE NEXT DAY IN ALL 
PRINT MEDIA. 
 
5.  ON APRIL 22, ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILIES HIGHLIGHTED 
THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA.  THE PAPERS 
CITED KHALIFA AS SAYING: "THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ SHOULD BE VIEWED AS 
A SINGLE INTEGRATED ENTITY FOR THE SAKE OF STABILITY AND SECURITY 
AND FOR ALLOWING THEM TO POOL RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT."  THE 
ARTICLES ALSO STATE THAT KHALIFA STRESSED THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF 
REVIVING THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A 
COMPREHENSIVE, JUST AND LASTING PEACE IN THE REGION. 
 
SAMPLE HEADLINES: 
-- DUBAI-BASED LARGEST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE DAILY "GULF NEWS":  "KHALIFA 
RECEIVES ARMITAGE.  UAE REAFFIRMS SUPPORT TO IRAQ STABILITY 
EFFORTS."  (CICULATION 90,000) 
 
-- FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" READ:  "RECEIVING THE DEPUTY 
AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, KHALIFA REITERATES (UAE) 
SUPPORT OF IRAQ STABILITY AND PROTECTION OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE." 
(CIRCULATION 75,000) 
 
-- "AL-KHALEEJ", PAGE 4 ADDED: 
"RECEIVING ARMITAGE AND BURNS AND DEMANDING A NEED FOR THE 
PROTECTION OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, KHALIFA REITERATES UAE KEENNESS 
ON THE STABILITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF IRAQ UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF 
A UNIFIED GOVERNMENT." 
 
6.  COVERAGE WAS IDENTICAL IN ALL MEDIA BASED ON A REPORT BY THE 
OFFICIAL UAE NEWS AGENCY (WAM).  THERE WERE NO EDITORIALS OR 
COMMENTS BASED ON THE VISIT. 
 
WAHBA