US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3077

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003077 
 
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, PASS TO MOC; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: TERRORISM/IRAQ/WEST BANK 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE HOSTAGE CRISIS IN RUSSIA AND THE DETORIARATING 
SECURITY SITUATION IN THE WEST BANK AND IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE 
IN LOCAL PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  ABDULLAH RASHID NOTED IN 
"AL ITTIHAD"  THAT IT IS THE PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES RELIGIOUS 
WHO LEAD OUR YOUTH TO BECOME TERROISTS. ANOTHER ARTICLE IN "AL 
ITTIHAD" BY DR. SHAMLAN YOUSEF AL EISSA BLAMES ARAB AND MUSLIM 
GOVERNMENTS FOR CREATING TERRORISM IN THE REGION.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  WRITING IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 09/7, (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI 
BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) DR. SHAMLAN YOUSEF AL 
EISSA WROTE AN ARTICLE UNDER THE HEADLINE "ISLAMIC TERRORISM": 
 
". WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE ARAB ISLAMIC WORLD?. WHAT ARE THE 
JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THIS IMMORAL AND UNRELIGIOUS VIOLENCE?  WHAT 
WILL WE BENEFIT AS ARABS AND MUSLIMS FROM THE CHANGE OF ATTITUDES 
IN FRANCE, ITALY, RUSSIA, SPAIN, AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES 
TOWARDS THE ARABS AND MUSLIMS?. WHAT ARE THESE NAVE AND 
UNDERDEVELOPED MINDS WHICH THINK THAT THROUGH TERRORISM THEY 
COULD CHANGE THE WORLD FOR OUR BENEFIT?. THE QUESTION IS STILL 
THERE: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FOR SPREADING TERRORISM IN OUR 
REGION.? THE ARAB GOVERNMENTS ARE TO BE BLAMED FOR THIS. THESE 
GOVERNMENTS THOUGHT THAT ENCOURAGING ISLAMIC POLITICAL GROUPS 
WILL LEAD TO ENCREASING MORALS AND ETHICS IN THE COMMUNITY." 
 
3.  UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHID NOTED HOW OUR YOUNG MUSLIMS ARE 
BEING MANIPULATED AND BRAIN WASHED BY PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES 
RELIGIOUS IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 09/7: 
 
". WHAT LEADS OUR YOUNG MUSLIMS TO BECOME LOST.?  WHAT TOOK THEM 
AWAY FROM THE GREAT ISLAMIC BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES AND CHANGED 
THEM INTO TERRORSTS?. SORRY TO SAY WITHOUT FEAR OR SHAME THAT THE 
REASON BEHIND THIS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES `RELIGIOUS 
MEN'. SORRY TO SAY THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO CALL THEMSELVES 
RELIGIOUS AND ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TOLERANT AND MERCIFUL AND ARE 
SUPPOSED TO SPREAD PEACE AMONG PEOPLE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO 
BRAINWASH YOUTH AND PREPARE THEM TO BECOME PROJECTILES THAT ARE 
READY TO SPREAD TERRORISM." 
 
4.  Commenting on the massacre committed by Israel in Gaza, "Al 
Bayan" editorialized 09/8:(Arabic daily, Dubai-based business- 
oriented, circulation 40,000) 
 
". THIS HARMONY AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE POLITICIANS AND 
RELIGIOUS JEWS IN SHEDDING PALESTINIAN BLOOD MAKES THE DREAM OF 
PEACE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO COME TRUE, AND IT WILL ALSO EXPOSE THE 
MIDDLE EAST'S SECURITY AND STABILITY TO DANGER. THERE HAS TO BE 
AN INTERNATIONAL STAND TO FACE THE ZIONIST TERRORISM, IN ORDER 
FOR THE MIDDLE EAST NOT TO BECOME A TICKING BOMB THAT COULD 
EXPLODE AT ANY TIME. 
 
SISON