US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI4603

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004603 
 
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:  FORUM FOR THE FUTURE 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE "FORUM OF THE FUTURE" IN MOROCCO AND THE "ARAB 
STRATEGY FORUM" IN DUBAI DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC 
AND PRINT MEDIA THIS WEEK.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" NOTED 
THAT REFORM IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE ARAB WORLD BUT NOT THROUGH THE 
U.S. OR ISRAEL.  WHEREAS ONLY A FEW EDITORIALS SPECIFICALLY 
COMMENTED ON THE FORUM FOR THE FUTURE, REPORTS WERE IN ALL ARABIC 
AND ENGLISH PAPERS AND THE TONE WAS OFTEN CRITICAL.  THE 
DICHOTOMY OF THE POSITIONS OF THE ARAB WORLD AND THE UNITED 
STATES WAS ALWAYS EVIDENT; THAT THE U.S. WAS INTERESTED IN REFORM 
ONLY AND THE ARAB WORLD WANTED TO LINK REFORM WITH SOLVING THE 
PALESTINIAN PROBLEM.  SAMPLE HEADLINES INCLUDED, "WASHINGTON WILL 
NOT HASTEN SOLVING THE MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO LINK IT 
WITH REFORM." & "POWELL REFUSES TO LINK REFORM TO SOLUTION OF 
PALESTINIAN ISSUE."  UAE COLUMNISTS ABDULLAH RASHEED LAUDED SAUDI 
ARABIA'S MUFTI'S CONDEMNATION OF THE ATTACKS ON THE U.S. 
CONSULATE IN JEDDAH AND ANY SIMILAR ATTACKS. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  Rashed Saleh Al-Uraimi wrote in his weekly column in the Abu 
Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic daily "Al-Ittihad" 12/13: 
 
"..What is noticeable about the two-day conference "Forum of the 
Future" that took place in Morocco two days ago was the modest 
and superficial language that characterized its communiqu, a 
clear indication that the ceiling of the super power aspirations 
for reforms and democracy for the region has severely dropped, or 
may have reached a state of  helplessness.  As for 
representatives of the region, they tended to change the course 
of the forum, so it became an opportunity to talk about financial 
assistance and an opportunity to attract financing for small 
projects.  Instead of  educational reform they talked about 
eliminating illiteracy, and the need to improve the status of 
women instead of talking about empowering women, and voluntary 
democratic reform instead of exporting democracy on the dead 
bodies of regimes similar to the Iraqi case.  The region, through 
the obstruction of democratic winds, was able to restrain the 
American administration and the neo-cons who are planning to 
remap the region from scratch. What the super powers are planning 
for peoples of the region is not clear in light of the statements 
we hear.  However, what peoples of the region aspire is crystal 
clear and cannot be delayed.  They prefer to improve their 
standard of living and get job opportunities, solve the Arab- 
Israeli conflict, eliminate extremism and improve healthcare 
services, instead of all political reforms and other loose 
slogans promoted by Washington.  In short, the people of this 
region do not suffer confusion in their vision and know very well 
what kind of reform they need, unlike Washington, its allies as 
well as some governments in the region." 
 
3.  NOTING THAT REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD HAPPEN BUT NOT 
THROUGH THE U.S., "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/13: 
 
".  REFORM IN THE ARAB WORLD IS REQUESTED, BUT NOT THROUGH THE 
U.S. AND AS IT WANTS.  AND REFORM IN PALESTINE IS POSSIBLE BUT 
NOT THROUGH THE ZIONIST TERRORISTS.  ARABS REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED 
IN IRAQ BECAUSE OF THE AMERICAN REFORM AND WHAT HAPPENED IN 
PALESTINE BECAUSE OF THE `ISRAELI' REFORM.  IF THOSE TOOK THEIR 
WICKEDNESS AWAY FROM THE ARABS, THE REGION WILL BE MORE THAN OK 
AND IT WOULD HAVE CONCENTRATED ON DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT 
INSTEAD OF CONCENTRATING ON REPELLING ATTACKS AND PROTECTING 
PEOPLE AND LANDS FROM NEW OCCUPATION, DOMINATION, AND 
OPPRESSION." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON THE ARAB STRATEGY FORUM AND THE ISSUES THAT 
ARABS NEED TO DISCUSS, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/14: (ARABIC 
DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
"CHANGE, REFORM, MODERNIZATION AND THE ATTITUDES OF GOVERNMENTS 
TOWARDS THIS, IN ADDITION TO THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS PALESTINE 
AND IRAQ AND THE ATTITUDE OF THE U.S. AND THE ZIONISTS, AND THE 
RELATION BETWEEN EAST AND WEST PARTICULARLY THE RELATION BETWEEN 
ISLAM AND THE WEST ARE ALL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED AND 
PRESENT IN THE ARAB STRATEGY FORUM." 
 
5.  UAE COLUMNIST ABDULLAH RASHEED WROTE AN ARTICLE IN "AL 
ITTIHAD" ON 12/13 LAUDING THE SAUDI MUFTI'S CONDEMNATION OF THE 
ATTACKS ON THE U.S. CONSULATE IN JEDDAH: ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI- 
BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". PROHIBITING THIS TERRORIST ATTACK OR ANYTHING SIMILAR TO IT 
AND CONSIDERING THE PEOPLE WHO COMMITTED IT TO BE ATHEISTS IS THE 
RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION NOT ONLY IN 
SAUDI ARABIA BUT ALL OVER THE ISLAMIC WORLD.  IT IS TIME FOR ALL 
>>> AND ALL ISLAMIC PARTIES TO BE CLEAR IN DEALING WITH THE 
GROUPS THAT HAVE CHOSEN THE ROAD OF ATHEISM AND SINS." 
 
6.  POINTING OUT THAT THE U.S. PREFERS THAT THE REGION REMAINS 
UNSTABLE, "AL KHALEEJ" EDITORIALIZED 12/12: 
 
".  THE U.S. DOES NOT WANT DEMOCRACY IN THE REGION, IT IS ONLY 
USING IT AS AN EXCUSE TO JUSTIFY ITS WAR AGAINST IRAQ AFTER ALL 
THE EXCUSES REGARDING WMD AND THE CONNECTIONS WITH `AL QAEDA' 
WERE USELESS. THE U.S. DOES NOT WANT ANY SETTLEMENT IN THE ARAB 
REGION AS LONG AS IT IS ABLE TO DEFINE THE POLICIES IMPOSE THE 
REALITY IT WANTS.  IS THERE PROOF MORE THAN PRESIDENT BUSH'S 
ANNOUNCEMENT OF POSTPONING HIS `VISION' OF A PALESTINIAN STATE TO 
THE YEAR 2009 INSTEAD OF 2005?." 
SISON