US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1607

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001607 
 
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 - PLEASE PASS TO MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  IRAQ/GAZA 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN BOTH IRAQ AND GAZA 
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  AN 
EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BOTH 
IRAQ AND PALESTINE MIGHT SHIFT VERY SOON TO ANOTHER ARAB COUNTRY. 
AN EDITORIAL IN "AKHBAR AL ARAB" POINTED OUT THAT THE 
ASSASINATION OF HEAD OF THE GOVERNING COUNCIL EZZEDINE SALEEM 
REVEALS THAT THE U.S. FORCES ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY IN 
IRAQ.  ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT HANDING OVER 
IRAQ TO IRAQIS AND MAINTAINING U.S. MILITARY EXISTENCE MEANS THAT 
IRAQ WILL STILL BE OCCUPIED.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "AN ARAB SUMMIT IN RAFAH," SHARJAH-BASED 
ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 05/19: 
(CIRCULATION 95,000) 
 
". WHAT RAFAH IS GOING THROUGH RIGHT IN FRONT OF ALL ARABS FROM 
EAST TO WEST IS ONLY A PRELUDE TO WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE WHOLE 
REGION IN THIS ERA WHERE EVERYTHING IS ALLOWED.  THE 
AMERICAN/ZIONIST EVIL WAVES THAT ARE HITTING PALESTINE AND IRAQ 
WILL NOT STOP AT ANY BORDER IF THE PEOPLE OF THE SUMMIT DON'T 
MOVE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.  MAYBE IT IS BETTER THAT THE ARAB 
SUMMIT TAKES PLACE THIS TIME IN RAFAH, THAT IS IF BUSH AND SHARON 
KEEP ANY STONE ON TOP OF THE OTHER OR A PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO 
BLOOD!" 
 
3.  NOTING THAT THERE IS INTERNATIONAL SILENCE REGARDING SHARON'S 
CRIMES, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 
05/19:(CIRCULATION 30,000) 
 
". WHAT IS THIS INTERNATIONAL SILENCE TOWARDS THE KILLERS AND 
CRIMINALS OF WAR WHO ARE GOVERNING THE ZIONIST TERRORIST ENTITY 
THAT IS DESTROYING EVERYTHING IN THE CITY OF RAFAH IN PALESTINE? 
WHERE IS THE DIGNITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY?. WHERE IS 
THE UNITED NATIONS, IT PUNISHES WHOEVER GETS THE U.S. MAD AND 
EXCLUDES WHOEVER IT (THE U.S.) IS PROTECTING EVEN IF THEY 
COMMITTED ALL KINDS OF CRIMES?!" 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE ASSASSINATION OF THE HEAD OF THE IRAQI 
GOVERNING COUNCIL EZZEDINE SALEEM AND NOTING THAT THIS IS A 
TERRORIST ATTACK, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 05/18:(CIRCULATION 100,000) 
 
". THIS VERY DISTURBING SCENE WITH THE PILING UP OF MISTAKES OF 
THE COALITION FORCES WILL DEFINITELY LEAD TO MORE TERRORISM. THIS 
UGLY CRIME SYMBOLIZES A CLEAR MESSAGE FROM THE TERRORISTS AND THE 
ENEMIES OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY WHICH IS TRYING TO DESTROY THE 
ALREADY STUMBLING POLITICAL SITUATION IN IRAQ AND TRYING TO STOP 
HANDING OVER IRAQ TO IRAQIS." 
 
5.  NOTING THAT THE ASSASSINATION OF EZZEDINE SALEEM REVEALS THAT 
THE U.S. FORCES ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY IN IRAQ, ABU 
DHABI-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AKHBAR AL-ARAB" EDITORIALIZED 05/18: 
(CIRCULATION 20,000) 
 
". THE OCCUPATION'S CLAIM THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO RESTORE 
SECURITY IN IRAQ IS NOW DROPPED, BECAUSE WHOEVER DOES NOT HAVE 
SECURITY CAN'T PROVIDE IT TO OTHERS. THE OCCUPATION SHOULD LOOK 
FOR OTHER WAYS -RATHER THAN KILLING, MILITARY OPERATIONS, AND 
CHASING CAMPAIGNS- TO PROVIDE SECURITY FOR ITS FORCES, IN THE 
SAME TIME IRAQIS SHOULD START THINKING OF THE BEST NATIONAL MEANS 
TO RESTORE STABILITY AND PUT AN END TO CHAOS." 
 
6.  CRITICIZING THE ARAB SILENCE TOWARDS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN 
IRAQ AND PALESTINE, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 05/17: 
 
". WHOEVER ALLOWS KILLING THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE BY SHARON AND 
TORTURING AND HUMILIATING THE IRAQIS BY BUSH WILL NOT BE MOVED BY 
ANYTHING IN THE NEAR OR FAR FUTURE TOWARDS ANY OTHER ARAB NATION. 
WILL THE ARABS MOVE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE AND BEFORE OTHER ARAB 
NECKS ARE HANDED TO THE AMERICAN-ZIONIST GUILLOTINE?" 
 
7.  NOTING THAT HANDING OVER IRAQ TO IRAQIS WITH MAINTAINING THE 
U.S. MILITARY EXISTENCE MEANS THAT IRAQ WILL STILL BE OCCUPIED, 
"AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 05/16: 
 
". WHEN THE U.S. TALKS ABOUT HANDING OVER IRAQ TO IRAQIS WHILE 
MAINTAINING ITS OCCUPATION, IT IS TRYING TO PROVIDE AN INTERNAL 
LEGITIMATE COVER FOR ITS OCCUPATION, IN ADDITION TO TRYING TO 
PROVIDE AN INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMATE COVER THROUGH PRESSURES TO 
ANNOUNCE A NEW RESOLUTION BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL REGARDING 
HANDING OVER IRAQ WITH MAINTAINING OCCUPATION." 
 
ALBRIGHT