US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI2257

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 002257 
 
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 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  SADDAM'S TRIAL AND THE INCREASING VIOLENCE IN IRAQ 
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA. AN 
EDITORIAL IN ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-GOVERNMENT "AL ITTIHAD" NOTED 
THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT NEEDS THE SUPPORT OF THE ARAB COUNTRIES 
AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO STOP THE VIOLENCE IN IRAQ. 
ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" COMMENTED ON THE NEWLY REVEALED 
ISRAELI EXISTENCE IN IRAQ.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  NOTING THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT NEEDS ALL THE HELP IT CAN 
GET, "AL ITTIHAD" EDITORIALIZED 07/6:(CIRCULATION 100,000) 
 
". THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT FIRST NEEDS ARAB SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FROM 
THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, TO EXTRACT THE ROOTS OF TERRORISM AND 
BRUTALITY AND TO CHANGE THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO THINK THAT IRAQ 
WILL ALWAYS BE A PLACE FOR CORRUPT INDIVIDUALS. IRAQ ALSO NEEDS 
THE SUPPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO 
ACCOMPLISH THEIR PROJECTS. THE HOPELESS TRIALS TO RELIVE THE PAST 
WILL NOT SUCCEED, BECAUSE TIME DOES NOT GO BACK. IRAQ IS BEING 
REBORN AND SUPPORT AND HELP IS REQUIRED FOR THIS COUNTRY." 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "ISRAEL IN IRAQ," SHARJAH-BASED ARABIC 
DAILY "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 07/5:(CIRCULATION 95,000) 
 
". THE ISRAELI EXISTENCE IN IRAQ CAN'T BE HIDDEN OR DENIED. IT IS 
NOT STRANGE THAT THERE MIGHT BE AMERICAN-ISRAELI COORDINATION TO 
PENETRATE IRAQ AND TRANSFORM IT INTO CHAOS, WHICH ISRAELI AGENTS 
WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN ORDER TO THREATEN IRAQ'S UNITY, IN 
ADDITION TO SYRIA AND IRAN. IF GETTING RID OF THE AMERICAN 
OCCUPATION IS IN IRAQ'S NATIONAL INTEREST AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE 
TAKEN CARE OF BY THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT, THEN THIS SHOULD NOT 
PREVENT THEM FROM DEALING WITH THE ZIONISTS SNEAKING INTO IRAQ. 
IRAQ WITH ITS PEOPLE, HISTORY, KNOWLEDGE, AND THEIR PATRIOTISM 
WILL NOT ACCEPT BEING USED BY ENEMIES OF THE IRAQI NATION USING A 
`TROJAN HORSE.'" 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE INCREASING VIOLENCE IN IRAQ AND NOTING THAT 
AS LONG AS THE AMERICAN TROOPS ARE IN IRAQ THE VIOLENCE WILL 
CONTINUE, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS-ORIENTED "AL BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 
07/4:(CIRCULATION 30,000) 
 
". THERE IS INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT THAT AS LONG AS THE 
SOVEREIGNTY IN IRAQ IS NOT COMPLETE AND AS ALONG AS THE ANGLO- 
AMERICAN TROOPS STILL EXIST IN ALL CITIES THEN THE SERIES OF 
BLOODSHED WILL BECOME PART OF THE DAILY ROUTINE. THE AMERICAN 
TROOPS' EXISTENCE IN IRAQ PROMOTES INSTABILITY." 
 
ALBRIGHT