US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI2059

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002059 
 
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 ALSO FOR MOC 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ/TERRORIST ATTACKS 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE SECURITY SITUATION AND THE KILLING OF THE 
AMERICAN HOSTAGE IN SAUDI ARABIA DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL 
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  AYSHA SULTAN NOTED IN "AL BAYAN" 
THAT HATRED TOWARDS THE U.S. IS INCREASING AMONG THE YOUNGER 
GENERATION.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT ALL THESE 
TERRORIST ACTIONS IN SAUDI ARABIA ARE AGAINST ISLAM AND ARABS. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UAE COLUMNIST AYSHA SULTAN WROTE AN ARTICLE UNDER THE 
HEADLINE "THE U.S. SHOULD WATCH OUT" IN DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS- 
ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 06/22:(CIRCULATION 30,000) 
 
"WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HATE THE U.S., WE ALSO HAVE CHILDREN 
WHO CONVEY THEIR HATRED TOWARDS IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, SO WHO IS 
INCREASING THE HATRED TOWARDS THE U.S. AND ITS POLICY, IS IT THE 
ABSENCE OF DEMOCRACY OR IS IT THE ABSENCE OF JUSTICE IN DEALING 
WITH ISSUES OF THE REGION?. THE TREND OF HATRED AGAINST U.S. 
POLICY IS INCREASING AMONG THE YOUNGER GENERATION, AND THIS IS 
SOMETHING THAT ARABS HOLD THE U.S. RESPONSIBLE FOR BECAUSE OF ITS 
ATTITUDE TOWARDS ISRAEL AND SHARON'S POLICY AGAINST THE 
PALESTINIANS, IN ADDITION TO HUMILIATING THE IRAQIS BY OCCUPYING 
IRAQ FOR NO REASON. THE U.S. IS MAKING OUR CHILDREN DEAL WITH THE 
WEST NEGATIVELY AND WITH HOSTILITY." 
 
3.  NOTING THAT IF THE SECURITY SITUATION REMAINS AS IS IN IRAQ 
AFTER HANDING OVER SOVEREIGNTY ON JUNE 30, THEN THINGS WILL GET 
WORSE,  ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 06/21:(CIRCULATION 100,000) 
 
". FOR THE SITUATION TO REMAIN AS IS IN IRAQ AFTER HANDING OVER 
IRAQ TO THE IRAQIS ON JUNE 30, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO 
SECURITY ISSUES, THIS MEANS THAT A LOT OF DAMAGE WILL OCCUR TO 
THE DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION THAT THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT 
ALREADY STARTED." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE KILLING AND MAIMING OF THE AMERICAN HOSTAGE 
IN SAUDI ARABIA, "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 06/20:(CIRCULATION 
30,000) 
 
".WHAT THOSE KILLERS DID IS NOT AGAINST THE U.S. BUT IT IS 
AGAINST ISLAM AND HUMANITY, AS JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH SAID. WE 
REQUEST THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, THROUGH ALL ITS 
ORGANIZATIONS, FACE THE TERRORISM THAT IS THREATENING THE PEACE 
AND SECURITY OF THE WORLD AS A WHOLE NOT ONLY ONE REGION. SILENCE 
TOWARDS THIS PHENOMENON WILL THREATEN THE SECURITY OF ALL 
HUMANITY." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "CONDEMNED TERRORISM," SHARJAH-BASED 
ARABIC DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 06/20:(CIRCULATION 
95,000) 
 
". THESE THINGS HAPPENING IN IRAQ AND SAUDI ARABIA ARE CONDEMNED 
AND SHOULD NOT BE TOLERATED BECAUSE THIS IS PART OF THE TERRORISM 
THAT THE U.S. AND ISRAEL ARE TRYING TO ASSOCIATE WITH ARABS AND 
MUSLIMS IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY THEIR ATTACKS AGAINST OUR NATION AND 
TO JUSTIFY THEIR PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES." 
 
ALBRIGHT