US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3519

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 003519 
 
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: WEST BANK/IRAQ 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE MASSACRES IN GAZA AND THE CONTINUING SECURITY 
SITUATION IN IRAQ DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC AND 
PRINT MEDIA.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED THAT THE 
PALESTINIANS HAVE NO SUPPORT EVEN FROM THE ARABS.  DR. SHAMLAN EL 
EISSA WROTE AN ARTICLE IN "AL ITTIHAD" CRITICIZING HAMAS' FLASHY 
ANNOUNCEMENT AND STATEMENTS AND NOTING THAT THEY SHOULD START 
THINKING OF A BETTER STRATEGY FOR RESISTANCE.  ANOTHER ARTICLE IN 
"AL ITTIHAD" WRITTEN BY MOHAMMED AL HAMMADI NOTED THAT ARABS 
SHOULD THINK OF BEING PART OF THIS WORLD BY LOOKING AT THE WHOLE 
TRUTH NOT ONLY HALF OF IT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  UAE COLUMNIST MOHAMMED AL HAMMADI WROTE AN ARTICLE NOTING 
THAT IF WE WANT TO BE PART OF THIS WORLD WE SHOULD START LOOKING 
AT THE TRUTH AROUND US, NOT HALF OF THE TRUTH IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 
10/6: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 
85,000) 
 
".WE NEED TO RAISE A NEW GENERATION THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY 
INTELLECTUAL BALANCE, NOT AN EXTREME GENERATION OR A WEAK 
GENERATION, AND BALANCE IN RAISING A GENERATION COMES BY MAKING 
THE GENERATION PART OF THE WORLD. WE NEED TO REBUILD PEOPLE'S 
INTELLECT WITH A VISION THAT RELATES TO THE NEW ERA'S CHANGES AND 
LANGUAGE. WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONVINCED ABOUT IS THAT THERE IS NO 
PLACE IN THIS WORLD FOR THE READY- MADE THOUGHTS THAT WERE 
DEVELOPED THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, AND DOMINATED 
PEOPLE'S MINDS AND LIVES. WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS THAT WE 
SHOULD NOT LOOK AT THE WORLD AROUND US WITH ONE EYE THAT ONLY 
SEES HALF OF THE TRUTH, WHICH LEADS US TO DOING HALF WHAT IS 
RIGHT." 
 
3.  COLUMNIST DR. SHAMLAN YOUSEF AL EISSA WROTE AN ARTICLE 
CRITICIZING HAMAS' CONTINUOUS FLASHY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND STATEMENTS 
CONDEMNING SHARON'S MASSACRES AND STATING THAT THEY WILL TAKE 
REVENGE IN "AL ITTIHAD" ON 10/5: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, 
SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". WE WROTE AND OTHERS WROTE THAT FEDAYEE ACTS DO NOT REQUIRE 
FLASHY MEDIA AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.  FREEDOM MOVEMENTS IN THE WORLD 
DO NOT ANNOUNCE THE NAMES OF THEIR LEADERS. WHY DOES HAMAS DO 
THAT?. HOW DID THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE BENEFIT FROM THE FLASHY 
MEDIA AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THEIR OPERATIONS?. WHY DON'T WE 
BENEFIT FROM THE ZIONISTS IN HOW WE DEAL WITH THE WESTERN MEDIA? 
ISRAELIS KILL, DISPLACE, DEMOLISH, AND CONFISCATE THE RIGHTS OF 
HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS, SAYING THAT THESE ARE 
DEFENSIVE ACTIONS. TODAY IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT RESISTANCE IS 
NOT EFFECTIVE, RESISTANCE SHOULD EITHER RESIDE IN SECRETIVE 
ACTIONS WITHOUT ANY FLASHINESS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR RESIDE IN 
PEACEFUL MEANS. HOW COULD WE FREE A LAND THAT IS SURROUNDED BY 
WALLS AND THE LARGEST MILITARY HARDWARE IN THE REGION SUPPORTED 
BY THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?  WHEN WILL WE START 
THINKING OF A NEW STRATEGY FOR RESISTANCE?" 
 
4.  NOTING THAT THE PALESTINIANS ARE STANDING ON THEIR OWN 
WITHOUT ANY ARAB SUPPORT, "AL-KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 10/4: 
(ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE ALL ALONE IN THEIR LAST DEFENSE 
LINE IN FACING THE LIKUD ISRAELI - AMERICAN PLAN AIMED AT 
OVERTHROWING THE REGION AND MAKING ITS PEOPLE KNEEL, IN ADDITION 
TO STEALING ALL ITS NATIONAL WEALTH IN THE WORST ATTACKS THE ARAB 
NATION HAS FACED.  ALL THIS IS HAPPENING WHILE THE ARAB COUNTRIES 
ARE MEETING TO WORK OUT A POLITICAL STRATEGY TO STOP THE 
CONTINUOUS ISRAELI ATTACKS AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE." 
 
5.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "SHARON'S TERRORISM," "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 10/3: 
 
". THE WORLD'S SILENCE TOWARDS THE MASSACRES COMMITTED BY THE 
CRIMINAL OF WAR SHARON AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS NOT TO 
ITS BENEFIT. THE WORLD'S SILENCE TOWARDS THE RANDOM KILLINGS, THE 
BLOODSHED OF INNOCENT CHILDREN, AND THE MASSACRES AGAINST 
CIVILIANS PROVOKES THE EMOTIONS OF THE ENTIRE MUSLIM WORLD. THE 
QUESTION NOW IS: WHY IS THE WORLD SILENT AND WHY ARE THEY LEAVING 
SHARON TO ACT LIKE AN AROUSED BULL IN A PORCELAIN SHOP?  WHY 
HASN'T THE WORLD UNDERSTOOD THAT VIOLENCE LEADS TO MORE VIOLENCE, 
AND THAT OCCUPATION IS THE REASON BEHIND RESISTANCE, AND WITH ITS 
REMOVAL THE REASONS OF TENSION ARE REMOVED?  WHO WILL BE 
COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO SAY THE TRUTH AND HOLD THE THREAD THAT WILL 
EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE SOUGHT AFTER PEACE?" 
SISON