US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI34

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000034 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI; 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 PASS TO MOC, ALSO FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION:  SOUTH ASIAN CATASTROPHE 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ASIAN TSUNAMI, THE 
ELECTIONS IN IRAQ AND PALESTINE, AND SUDANESE PEACE AGREEMENT 
DOMINATED COVERAGE IN LOCAL ELECTRONIC AND PRINT MEDIA THIS WEEK. 
AN EDITORIAL IN "AL KHALEEJ" STATED THAT THE WORLD SHOULD FOCUS 
ON SPENDING MONEY ON HUMANITARIAN AID INSTEAD OF WARS.  "AL 
ITTIHAD" NOTED THAT SIGNING THE PEACE AGREEMENT WILL USHER IN A 
NEW ERA OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY FOR SUDAN.  AN EDITORIAL IN "AL 
BAYAN" NOTED THAT THE ISRAELI ATTACK AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN 
PEOPLE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR WAS AN INDICATOR OF THE 
DIRECTION ITS POLICY WOULD HEAD IN 2005.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  NOTING THAT THE SOUTH ASIAN CATASTROPHE SHOULD LEAD THE WORLD 
TO SPEND MONEY ON HUMANITARIAN AID RATHER THAN WARS, "AL KHALEEJ" 
EDITORIALIZED 01/03: (ARABIC DAILY, SHARJAH-BASED, SEMI-OFFICIAL, 
CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
". IT IS TIME FOR THE MONEY SPENT ON WARS AND CONSEQUENCES OF 
WARS TO BE SPENT IN AN AREA THAT IS MORE HUMANE; ESPECIALLY SINCE 
NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE SOUTH EAST ASIA CRISIS.  THE U.S. IN 
PARTICULAR, AND THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN GENERAL, ARE REQUESTED 
TO RECONCILE THEIR POLICIES WITH THE NEEDS OF HUMANITY IN ORDER 
TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF NATURAL OR MAN-MADE DESTRUCTION. 
RECONCILIATION WITH HUMANITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT BEING ITS 
ENEMY BECAUSE IT WILL LEAD TO PROTECTING THE UNIVERSE FROM MORE 
DISASTERS.  WILL THE BIG GUYS DO THAT?" 
 
3.  UNDER THE HEADLINE "A NEW ERA IN SUDAN," "AL ITTIHAD" 
EDITORIALIZED 01/02: (ARABIC DAILY, ABU DHABI-BASED, SEMI- 
OFFICIAL, CIRCULATION 85,000) 
 
"AFTER SIGNING THE PEACE AGREEMENT CEASE FIRE IN NEEFASHA, SUDAN 
IS NOW TAKING ITS FIRST STEP INTO A NEW ERA WITH ALL OF THE 
PROMISE THAT THIS PHASE WILL HOLD FOR THE SUDANESE PEOPLE AFTER 
DECADES OF PAIN, BLOOD, AND DESTRUCTION." 
 
4.  COMMENTING ON ISRAELI ACTS THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR, "AL 
BAYAN" EDITORIALIZED 01/02: (ARABIC DAILY, DUBAI-BASED BUSINESS- 
ORIENTED, CIRCULATION 40,000) 
 
". WHAT THE CRIMINALS OF WAR, THE ZIONISTS, ARE DOING SENDS A 
MESSAGE TO THE WHOLE WORLD SIGNALING THEIR POLICY FOR THE NEW 
YEAR.  IF THE ISRAELIS HAD GOOD INTENTIONS, AND THEY REALLY 
WANTED PEACE, THEY WOULD HAVE STOPPED THEIR ATTACKS AGAINST THE 
PALESTINIANS, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.  BUT INSTEAD THEY COMMITTED 
THIS WAR CRIME ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR WITH NO REASON, 
EXCEPT TO SEND AN AGGRESSIVE MESSAGE TO THOSE THRIVING FOR 
PEACE.SO ISRAEL ANNOUNCED ITS POLICY FOR THE YEAR, A POLICY 
AFFIRMING THAT ACHIEVING PEACE IS STILL AN ILLUSION." 
SISON