US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI1882

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001882 
 
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 ZEYA 
LONDON - PASS TO MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  IRAQ/WEST BANK/TERRORIST ATTACKS 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE NEWLY APPOINTED IRAQI GOVERNMENT, THE SITUATION 
IN THE WEST BANK AND THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACKS IN AL KHOBAR IN 
SAUDI ARABIA DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC 
MEDIA.  UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED CRITICIZED THE LACK OF 
MEDIA COVERAGE ON THE TERRORIST ATTACKS IN AL KHOBAR.  ANOTHER 
EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" NOTED THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST 
BUSH IN EUROPE SHOULD BE A REMINDER FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION 
REGARDING ITS UNPOPULAR UNILATERAL FOREIGN POLICY INITIATIVES. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED WROTE AN ARTICLE IN ABU DHABI- 
BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED "AL ITTIHAD" ON 06/07 UNDER THE 
HEADLINE "WHAT DO TERRORISTS WANT?"  HE MENTIONED ONE OF THE 
SURVIVORS' STORIES THAT INDICATES THAT THE TERRORISTS KILLED 
CHRISTIANS BUT NOT MUSLIMS IN THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN AL KHUBAR: 
 
". WE ARABS AND MUSLIMS DID NOT CONCENTRATE ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS 
A MORAL SCANDAL AND A CRIME THAT IS FORBIDDEN BY ALL RELIGIONS. 
SINCE HUMANITY STARTED, NO RELIGION APPROVED KILLING PEOPLE OF 
OTHER RELIGIONS. IT IS VERY UNWISE OF OTHER ARAB COUNTRIES, 
ESPECIALLY GULF COUNTRIES, TO THINK THAT THEY ARE SECURE FROM ANY 
TERRORIST ATTACKS, AND IT IS ALSO UNWISE TO THINK THAT THEY CAN 
GET RID OF TERRORISM THROUGH MILITARY OPERATIONS, ALTHOUGH THEY 
ARE IMPORTANT AT THIS TIME. THE QUESTION IS: WHAT DO THE 
TERRORISTS WANT? DO THEY REALLY WANT TO REFORM A BAD COMMUNITY AS 
THEY ALLEGE?  IF SO, AND IF WE BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, THEN 
WHY ARE THEY KILLING PEOPLE FROM OTHER RELIGIONS AND PARTIES? 
AND WHO SAID THAT THE ISLAMIC RELIGION APPROVES KILLING INNOCENT 
PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT RELIGION OR THEY ARE 
PART OF A DIFFERENT PARTY?. WHICH PROGRAM OR POLITICAL THINKING 
APPROVES OF KILLING THE INNOCENT AND DESTROYING ECONOMIC AND 
CIVIL PROPERTY AS WAS DONE IN AL KHOBAR IN SAUDI ARABIA?. WHAT 
THIS SURVIVOR REVEALED INDICATES THAT THESE GROUPS ARE NOT ONLY 
TERRORISTS BUT THEY ARE ALSO RACISTS, AND THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF 
THE CRIMINAL THOUGHTS THAT `AL KAEDA' TAUGHT AND SPREAD AMONG 
YOUNG MUSLIMS." 
 
3.  COMMENTING ON THE ARAB SILENCE TOWARD WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE 
ARAB WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN ABU GHRAIB PRISON AND THE ISRAELI 
PRISONS, SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 
06/09:(CIRCULATION 95,000) 
 
". THE OCCUPATION ACTIONS IN BOTH IRAQ AND ISRAEL ARE THE SAME, 
AS IF THE STRATEGICAL COOPERATION THAT CONNECTS THE U.S. WITH THE 
ZIONIST ENTITY IS A UNIFIED AND ORGANIZED COOPERATION OF TORTURE. 
ISN'T IT TIME FOR ARABS TO BREAK THE SILENCE WITH ACTIONS TOWARDS 
ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEM IF THEY 
REMAIN AS THEY ARE?" 
 
4.  NOTING THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST PRESIDENT BUSH IN ROME 
SHOULD BE A WARNING BELL, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 06/05:(CIRCULATION 30,000) 
 
". WASHINGTON SHOULD STOP SUPPORTING THE TERRORIST SHARON. THIS 
IS A GOOD CHANCE FOR THE U.S. TO WIN THE HEARTS OF PEOPLE OF THE 
WORLD BY ABIDING TO INTERNATIONAL LAWS, AND SHOULD BECOME MORE 
RESPECTFUL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD'S DESIRES." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS.," 
DUBAI-BASED ENGLISH DAILY "GULF NEWS" EDITORIALIZED 06/05: 
 
"THE G8 SHOULD STICK TO DISCUSSING THE WORLD'S ECONOMY.  THEY ARE 
NOT A POLITICAL ASSEMBLY, BUT THE U.S. IS SO DESPERATE TO AVOID 
PUTTING ANYTHING THROUGH THE UN THAT IT HAS TAKEN ITS PLAN FOR 
REFORM IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO THE G8. MOST MIDDLE EASTERNERS AGREE 
THAT THE WAY FORWARD HAS TO INCLUDE MORE INVOLVEMENT OF THE 
PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT, THE TRANSPARENT ROLE OF LAW, AND FREE 
MARKET POLICIES.  BUT NO ONE AGREES THAT BUSH IS THE MAN TO TELL 
THEM HOW TO FIND THE WAY FORWARD." 
 
WAHBA