US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3408

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003408 
 
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, ALSO FOR MOC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: IRAQ/WEST BANK 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:   THE DETERIORATING SECURITY SITUATION IN IRAQ, 
WOMEN AND CHILDREN VICTIMS OF U.S. AIR STRIKES, AND THE 
ASSASSINATION OF ONE OF HAMAS' ACTIVISTS IN SYRIA DOMINATED 
COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA. AN EDITORIAL IN "AL 
KHALEEJ" UNDER THE HEADLINE "TERRORISM BEYOND BORDERS" NOTED THAT 
"ZIONIST TERRORISM" IS MOVING FROM PALESTINE TO OTHER ARAB 
CAPITALS.  ANOTHER EDITORIAL IN "AL BAYAN" POINTED OUT HOW 
VICTIMS OF  U.S. AIR STRIKES ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, NOT 
TERRORISTS. END SUMMARY. 
 
 2.  NOTING THAT VICTIMS IN IRAQ ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN, "AL 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 09/28: (ARABIC DAILY, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS- 
ORIENTED, CIRCULATION 40,000) 
 
"IT'S LIKE A HOLOCAUST WITH NO END.  IF THEY HAD KNOWN--AS SOME 
IRAQIS SAY--THAT THE PRICE OF FREEDOM AND THE AMERICAN DREAM FOR 
IRAQ WOULD BE THESE BLOODBATHS, THEN THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HOPED 
FOR IT. THIS SITUATION (KILLING WOMEN AND CHILDREN) HAS BECOME 
SHAMEFUL TO THE CONSCIENCES OF THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD WHO ARE 
SILENT TOWARDS THESE DAILY MASSACRES BEING COMMITTED." 
 
4.  CONDEMNING THE ASSASSINATION OF ONE OF HAMAS' ACTIVISTS IN 
SYRIA AND NOTING THAT SYRIA WILL NEVER ACCEPT THIS ACT, "AL 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 09/27: 
 
".SYRIA WILL NOT GIVE IN TO CROSS-BORDER TERRORISM, AND WILL NOT 
THROW AWAY ANY PART OF ITS OCCUPIED LANDS.  ALSO, THE RESISTANCE 
WILL NOT ABIDE BY THIS NAZI METHOD WHICH THEY ARE USED TO FROM 
THE ZIONIST ENTITY, THIS WILL LEAD TO ITS INSISTENCE ON JIHAD. 
NOW, THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS REQUESTED TO MOVE TO STOP THE 
ZIONIST ENTITY FROM TRYING TO PUT THE REGION ON FIRE AND DRAGGING 
IT INTO A BIG HURRICANE OF VIOLENCE THAT WILL NOT STOP AT THE 
REGION'S BORDERS BUT WILL EXTEND TO THE WHOLE WORLD." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "TERRORISM BEYOND BORDERS," "AL-KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 09/27: (ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, CIRCULATION 
85,000) 
 
".THE ZIONIST TERRORISM MOVED FROM PALESTINE TO THE ARAB 
CAPITALS, AND THE ARABS ARE NOT STANDING UNITED TOGETHER TO 
ENSURE THEIR BORDERS AGAINST THE ENEMY AND GOING BACK TO ENCIRCLE 
THE ENEMY INSTEAD OF NORMALIZING RELATIONSHIPS. ANOTHER ARAB 
CAPITAL MIGHT BE TARGETED SOON SINCE ALL ARABS ARE LISTED ON 
DEATH LISTS WRITTEN BY THE ENEMY." 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "SUPPORTING IRAQ," "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 09/26: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, SEMI- 
OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". EFFORTS OF THE IRAQI PRIME MINISTER AT THE UNITED NATIONS 
SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. IN ORDER TO HOLD AN INTERNATIONAL 
CONFERENCE THAT WILL SUPPORT AND LEGITIMIZE THE IRAQI ELECTIONS 
IN JANUARY 2005, ARE CONSIDERED TO BE AN IMPORTANT STEP AND A 
PRESSING REQUIREMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FAMILY TO PUT IRAQ ON 
THE ROAD OF STABILITY AND RECONSTRUCTION. ESPECIALLY NOW BECAUSE 
IRAQ IS FACING A FINAL CONFLICT WITH TERRORISM AND TERRORISTS." 
 
6.  NOTING THAT RESISTANCE IS ALL WHAT IS LEFT FOR PALESTINIANS, 
"AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 09/26: 
 
". WITH THE PALESTINIANS' TRAGIC SITUATION, THE CLOSURE OF ALL 
THE ASPECTS IN THE FUTURE, AND SHARON'S DESTRUCTION OF ALL HOPE, 
WHAT SHOULD THE PALESTINIANS DO? WHAT CHOICE DO THEY HAVE BUT 
RESISTANCE AND WITH ALL MEANS AVAILABLE FOR PROTECTING 
THEMSELVES, AND THIS IS THEIR LEGAL RIGHT BY ALL LAW." 
 
SISON