US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1430

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001430 
 
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 PLS PASS TO MOC 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SPECIAL REPORT (1): MEDIA REACTION ON IRAQI PRISONER 
ABUSE 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  PICTURES OF TORTURE OF IRAQI PRISONERS IN ABU 
GHAREEB PRISON DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC 
MEDIA.  THE PICTURES WERE IN ALL LOCAL NEWSPAPERS AND ON ALL 
LOCAL AND SATELLITE TV CHANNELS.  SALEM IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED 
THAT AFTER THESE PICTURES THE U.S. SHOULD NOT BE THE ONE ISSUING 
THE HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE HIDDEN CRIMES" 
AN EDITORIAL IN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" NOTED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH SHOULD 
WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  Dr. Amina Abu Shihab of the UAE University wrote in Sharjah- 
based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" 5/5: (circulation 75,000) 
 
"The harsh photos speak for themselves to those who handed over 
these tortured into the hand of the occupation.the fact that has 
begun to emerge in the Western press is that torturing Iraqis is 
allowed in the American army, and also is by order of military 
intelligence, and that those who carry it out are rewarded.  Can 
anyone delude us by saying that torture was only meant to amuse 
the soldiers who do it after the soldier with the muscles, who is 
shown in the pictures, said that it was not only to amuse himself 
and his colleagues but as a part of the investigation carried out 
by the intelligence and other American agencies involved with 
Iraqi prisons.." 
 
3.  NOTING THAT THE U.S. HAS NO RIGHT TO ISSUE THE HUMAN RIGHTS 
REPORT, SALEM WROTE IN "AL-KHALEEJ" 05/04: (CIRCULATION 75,000) 
 
"AFTER NOW, THE U.S. HAS NO RIGHT TO ISSUE THE HUMAN RIGHTS 
REPORT BECAUSE FIRST, THE ONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE SOMETHING CAN'T 
GIVE IT, SECOND, IT (THE U.S.) IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO ISSUE SUCH A 
REPORT, AND THIRD, IT NEEDS RE-EDUCATION IN THE MEANS OF 
RESPECTING HUMAN RIGHTS.  WHAT WAS REVEALED OF THE U.S. SOLDIERS' 
ACTIONS AGAINST THE PRISONERS IN IRAQI ABU GHAREEB PRISON IS 
ENOUGH TO CONDEMN THE U.S. IN THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF CRIMES." 
 
4.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "BETWEEN TORTURE AND SCOLDING," "AL 
KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 05/04: (CIRCULATION 75,000) 
 
". THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIMES OF 
THE OCCUPATION AGAINST THE IRAQIS SHOULD BE THOSE BIG SHOTS, 
ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT VIOLATE COUNTRIES AND PEOPLE. SUPPORTED BY 
THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE IMPLEMENTED BY BUSH AND BLAIR AND THEIR 
ADMINISTRATIONS AT THE EXPENSE OF ALL WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE 
HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE HIDDEN CRIMES OF OCCUPATION," ABU 
DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AKHBAR AL-ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 
05/2: (CIRCULATION 15,000) 
 
". IF TORTURING THE IRAQI POWS IS ONE OF THE WORST CRIMES, THEN 
THE DAILY DELIBERATE KILLINGS AND THE MILITARY ATTACKS ARE ALSO 
CRIMES THAT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN OR FORGIVEN. THESE ALL HAVE 
NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE U.S.'S REPUTATION. PRESIDENT BUSH WANTED 
THE WAR ON IRAQ TO BE A POLITICAL AND MILITARY VICTORY THAT WILL 
GIVE HIM GLORY, BUT IRAQ IN LESS THAN A YEAR BECAME A NIGHTMARE. 
WHY DOESN'T BUSH WITHDRAW?" 
 
6.  COMMENTING ON THE HORRIFYING PICTURES OF U.S. SOLDIERS 
TORTURING IRAQI POWS, UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN WROTE IN DUBAI- 
BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" ON 05/2: (CIRCULATION 30,000) 
 
". THE HORRIFYING PICTURES OF PRISONERS BEING BRUTALLY TORTURED 
LIKE ANIMALS BRINGS UP A QUESTION: WHO KNOWS WHAT IS REALLY 
HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE IRAQI PRISONS?. IN IRAQ, THE 
AMERICAN MASK FELL OFF, DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FELL OFF, AND 
BEFORE THAT THE U.S. CREDIBILITY WAS LOST.  SADDAM IS GONE BUT 
THE AMERICAN ARE HERE, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?  SADDAM WAS 
KILLING IRAQIS SECRETLY BUT THE AMERICANS KILL THEM ON AIR. IRAQ 
WAS LIVING IN SADDAM'S FIRES AND NOW IS IN THE AMERICAN HELL." 
 
WAHBA