US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI4024

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004024 
 
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:  SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: NOVEMBER 3-8: REPORTING OF U.S. 
OFFICIAL REACTION TO DEATH OF UAE PRESIDENT SHEIKH ZAYED 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE REACTION TO THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED, 
PRESIDENT OF THE UAE, AND SUBSEQUENT CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE 
COVERED EXTENSIVELY BY ALL LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL 
PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA.  LOCAL TELEVISION AND SOME REGIONAL 
ELECTRONIC MEDIA STOPPED THEIR NORMAL BROADCAST FOR FOUR DAYS. 
ALL RADIO CHANNELS BROADCAST PRAYERS, WHICH BY NOW HAS GIVEN WAY 
TO CLASSICAL OR LIGHT JAZZ INSTEAD OF POPULAR MUSIC.  RADIO SAWA 
ALSO CHANGED ITS PROGRAMMING AND ANNOUNCED ITS CONDOLENCES TO THE 
PEOPLE OF THE UAE EVERY HALF HOUR. VISITS OF LEADERS AND 
OFFICIALS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WHO ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OR PAID 
CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE REPORTED ON ALL LOCAL SATELLITE CHANNELS 
AND SOME REGIONAL CHANNELS.  VISITS OF U.S. OFFICIALS AND PUBLIC 
ANNOUNCEMENTS OF CONDOLENCE FROM THE EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI WERE 
ALSO REPORTED ELECTRONICALLY AND IN PRINT WITH PICTURES. 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S PHONE CALL TO SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AND THE 
WHITE HOUSE'S OFFICIAL CONDOLENCE STATEMENT WERE REPORTED WITH 
EXCERPTS FROM BOTH THE PHONE CALL AND THE STATEMENT.  SECRETARY 
OF STATE POWELL'S CONDOLENCE CALL TO THE UAE EMBASSY IN 
WASHINGTON WAS REPORTED.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  THE EMBASSY RELEASED TWO MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCE AND MADE 
AVAILABLE THE TEXT OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND WHITE HOUSE 
ANNOUNCEMENTS.  THESE AND ALL NOTICES OF CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE 
CARRIED IN EACH OF THE ARABIC (AL BAYAN-CIRCULATION 40,000, AL 
KHALEEJ-CIRCULATION 85,000, AL ITTIHAD-65,000, AKHBAR AL ARAB- 
20,000) AND ENGLISH (GULF NEWS-95,000, KHALEEJ TIMES-70,000, GULF 
TODAY-15,000) DAILIES.  SOME WERE ALSO REPORTED BY THE REGIONAL 
DAILIES (AL SHARQ AL AWSAT-2,000, AL HAYAT-1,000).  REPORTS 
APPEARED ON ABU DHBAI TV AND DUBAI TV AND WERE REPEATED SEVERAL 
TIMES EACH DAY.  IN ADDITION, AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA COVERED 
DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO UAE LEADERS. 
 
3.  THE EMBASSY'S STATEMENT OF CONDOLENCE WAS ISSUED THE NIGHT OF 
THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED AND APPEARED THE NEXT DAY 11/03 ON THE 
SECOND PAGE IN AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) AND IN THE GULF 
NEWS (CIRC.65,000).  THE U.S. EMBASSY WAS THE ONLY FOREIGN 
EMBASSY WHICH MANAGED TO PLACE ITS CONDOLENCE MESSAGE ON THE 
FIRST DAY AFTER SHEIKH ZAYED'S DEATH.  THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS ALSO 
REPORTED ON THE MORNING OF 11/03 ON ABU DHABI TV AND DUBAI TV AS 
REACTION TO SHEIKH ZAYED'S DEATH. 
 
4.  THE EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI ISSUED ANOTHER PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT 
ON 11/04 REGARDING THE DATES OF THE CLOSURE OF THE EMBASSY FOR 
THE MOURNING PERIOD AND THE EID AL FITR HOLIDAYS. THE 
ANNOUNCEMENT APPEARED THE NEXT DAY 11/05 IN THE TWO ARABIC 
DAILIES, AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000), AND AL BAYAN 
(CIRCULATION 40,000), AND IN THE ENGLISH DAILY KHALEEJ TIMES 
(CIRCULATION 70,000). 
 
5.  PRESIDENT BUSH'S CONDOLENCE PHONE CALL TO SHEIKH KHLAIFA BIN 
ZAYED WAS REPORTED IN FRONT PAGE IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH 
DAILIES AND REGIONAL DAILIES WITH EXCERPTS OF THE PHONE CALL ON 
11/05.  THE PHONE CALL WAS ALSO REPORTED ON ABU DHABI TV AND 
DUBAI TV AND REGIONALLY ON AL ARABIYA AND AL JAZEERA.  THE REPORT 
WAS A WAM STORY AND WAS CARRIED IN ALL NEWSPAPERS.  AL BAYAN 
(CIRCULATION 40,000) HEADLINED "BUSH CALLS THE PRESIDENT TO OFFER 
CONDOLENCES AND CHIRAC ARRIVES TODAY" ON 11/05.  KHALEEJ TIMES 
(CIRCULATION 70,000) HEADLINED "BUSH PHONES KHALIFA, OFFERS 
CONDOLENCES."  AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) HEADLINED "KHALIFA 
RECEIVES THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S CONDOLENCES" AND SUBTITLED "HE 
CONGRATULATED BUSH FOR BEING RE-ELECTED." 
 
6.  AMBASSADOR MICHELE SISON'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO THE MINISTRY 
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND HER SIGNING OF THE CONDOLENCE BOOK WAS 
REPORTED IN ALL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON 11/05.  THERE WERE 
PICTURES OF THE AMBASSADOR SIGNING THE BOOK IN ENGLISH DAILY 
KHALEEJ TIMES (CIRCULATION 70,000) AND IN ARABIC DAILIES AL 
ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) AND AL BAYAN (CIRCULATION 40,000). 
KHALEEJ TIMES HEADLINED THE PICTURES OF ALL THE AMBASSADORS 
SIGNING THE BOOK AT MFA "DIPLOMATS PEN THEIR THOUGHTS."  AL BAYAN 
NOTED "AMBASSADORS OF ARAB AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES GIVING THEIR 
CONDOLENCES" AND THE PICTURE WITH AMBASSADOR SISON WAS ENTITLED 
"ONE OF THE AMBASSADORS WRITING IN HER CONDOLENCES." 
 
7.   U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD ARMITAGE AND 
ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY WILLIAM BURNS'S CONDOLENCE VISIT WAS 
REPORTED EXTENSIVELY ON FRONT PAGE OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARABIC 
AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON 11/05. SEVERAL PICTURES OF DEPUTY 
SECRETARY ARMITAGE AND AMBASSADOR SISON WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN 
 
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ZAYED, SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED, AND SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED 
WERE PRINTED.  KHALEEJ TIMES (CIRCULATION 70,000) CARRIED A FRONT- 
PAGE PICTURE WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA AND ANOTHER PICTURE WITH SHEIKH 
MOHAMED BIN ZAYED ON THE THIRD PAGE. ARABIC DAILIES AL 
KHALEEJ(CIRCULATION 85,000) AND AL ITTIHAD (65,000) AND AKHBAR AL 
ARAB (CIRCULATION 20,000) CARRIED SEVERAL PICTURES OF DEPUTY 
SECRETARY ARMITAGE AND AMBASSADOR SISON WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA, 
 
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SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED AND SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN RASHED IN INSIDE 
PAGES OF PICTURES OF OTHER LEADERS AND OFFICIALS GIVING THEIR 
CONDOLENCES.  ABU DHABI TV, DUBAI TV, AL ARABIYA AND AL JAZEERA 
REPORTED THE VISIT ON 11/05.  ABU DHABI TV AND DUBAI TV REPEATED 
THE REPORT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THE NEXT MORNING. 
 
8.  GULF NEWS (CIRCULATION 95,000) CARRIED EXCERPTS FROM THE 
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA'S REACTION TO THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED ON 
11/05 WITH QUOTES FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES AND CNN. 
 
9.  THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL CONDOLENCE STATEMENT OF 11/04 WAS 
CARRIED IN ITS ENTIRETY IN ALL LOCAL ENGLISH AND ARABIC DAILIES 
ON 11/06. ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS (CIRCULATION 95,000) AND ARABIC 
DAILY AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) CARRIED THE WHOLE STATEMENT 
IN THE FRONT PAGE, " IN WASHINGTON, THE WHITE HOUSE ON THURSDAY 
RELEASED A STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH OFFERING 
CONDOLENCES TO THE UAE PEOPLE AND LEADERSHIP."  THE REST OF THE 
ENGLISH AND ARABIC DAILIES HAD THE STORY ON THE FRONT PAGE BUT 
THE STATEMENT AS A WHOLE IN INSIDE PAGES.  THE STATEMENT WAS 
REPORTED BY ABU DHABI TV AND DUBAI TV AND THE STATEMENT READ BY 
THE ANNOUNCER. 
 
10.  SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL'S CONDOLENCE VISIT TO THE 
UAE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON WAS REPORTED IN ALL LOCAL ENGLISH AND 
ARABIC DAILIES ON 11/06.  ARABIC DAILIES AL KHALEEJ (CIRCULATION 
85,000), AL ITTIHAD (CIRCULATION 65,000) AND AKHBAR AL ARAB 
(CIRCULATION 20,000) REPORTED THE WAM STORY WITH A PICTURE OF 
SECRETARY POWELL AND UAE AMBASSADOR AL DHAHERI " COLIN POWELL, 
 
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SECRETARY OF STATE EXTENDED HIS CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF 
 
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SHEIKH ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL NAHYAN TO SAEED AHMED AL DHAHERI, UAE 
AMBASSADOR IN WASHINGTON.  POWELL EXPRESSED HIS CONDOLENCE AND 
SORROW OVER THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED."  ENGLISH DAILY GULF NEWS 
(CIRCULATION 95,000) REPORTED THE STORY ON FRONT PAGE. 
 
11.  SECRETARY JAMES ROCHE AND GENERAL JOHN JUMPER'S CONDOLENCE 
CALLS WERE REPORTED IN FRONT PAGE IN ALL LOCAL ARABIC AND ENGLISH 
DAILIES ON 11/8 AS A WAM STORY "SHEIKH KHALIFA RECEIVED SECRETARY 
OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE JAMES ROCHE, ACCOMPANIED BY U.S. AIR FORCE 
CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL JOHN JUMPER AND A NUMBER OF SENIOR U.S. 
OFFICERS.  THE U.S. TOP COMMANDERS EXPRESSED THEIR DEEP GRIEF AND 
SADNESS OVER THE DEATH OF SHEIKH ZAYED."  PICTURES OF SECRETARY 
ROCHE WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AND SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED 
WERE CARRIED FRONT PAGE IN ENGLISH DAILIES GULF TODAY 
(CIRCULATION 15,000) AND KHALEEJ TIMES (CIRCULATION 70,000). 
ARABIC DAILIES CARRIED THE PICTURES IN INSIDE PAGES WITH OTHER 
PICTURES OF LEADERS AND OFFICIALS GIVING CONDOLENCES. 
 
12.  AMBASSADOR MICHELE SISON'S CONDOLENCE VISIT ON 11/06 WAS 
REPORTED IN ARABIC DAILY AL KHALEEJ (CIRCULATION 85,000) WITH A 
PICTURE.   THE PICTURE WAS ENTITLED "SHEIKH NASSER BIN ZAYED, 
SHEIKH AHMED BIN ZAYED AND SHEIKH MANSOUR BIN ZAYED RECEIVE 
CONDOLENCES FROM CURRENT U.S. AMBASSADOR".  FORMER AMBASSADOR 
MARCELLE WAHBA'S CONDOLENCE CALLS WERE REPORTED EXTENSIVELY IN 
ALL LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARABIC AND ENGLISH DAILIES ON 11/07 WITH 
PHOTOS WITH SHEIKH KHALIFA, SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN ZAYED, SHEIKH 
ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED, SHEIKH SAIF BIN ZAYED, SHEIKH HAMDAN BIN 
ZAYED AND SHEIKH AHMED BIN ZAYED IN ARABIC DAILIES AL KHALEEJ, AL 
ITTIHAD AND AL BAYAN. 
 
SISON