US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT271

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000271 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARPI (TROBERTS), NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY), NEA/P 
(FFINVER), INR/R/MR 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
USCENTCOM FOR PLUSH 
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER/ASILAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, KMDR, OIIP, MU, Public Affairs 
SUBJECT: OPPORTUNITY FOR ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, THE SECRETARY'S 
TRIP TO EUROPE, AND A NEW PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT 
 
 
------------------------- 
Putting Peace to the Test 
------------------------- 
 
1. The government-owned Arabic daily "Oman" published an 
editorial on February 12 entitled, "The Necessity of Ending 
Confrontation": 
 
"Israel and Palestine have agreed -- yet again -- to end violent 
confrontations between their respective citizens.  Similar 
commitments to peace have been swept aside repeatedly in the 
past.  What is different about this time?  Usually these 
agreements fall apart because the Israeli or Palestinian 
opposition do not back them and do all they can to ensure that 
violence resumes.  It seems reasonable to assume that opposition 
to this most recent agreement will also test the resolve of the 
Israeli and Palestinian leaders.  Time will tell whether the 
leadership of Israel and the Palestinian territories will be able 
to stop the violence and prepare the path for a lasting peace 
over time." 
 
-------------------------------- 
Renewing Relationships in Europe 
-------------------------------- 
 
2. On February 12, privately-owned Arabic daily "Al-Watan" 
carried an editorial entitled "Black Face. . . White Heart": 
 
"Dr. Condoleeza Rice, the new Secretary of State, wants Europeans 
to open a new page in their relations with America.  Indeed, many 
of the leaders she met with renewed their commitment to cooperate 
with her government, despite two years of shaky relations caused 
by the war in Iraq.  However, the encouraging statements of most 
European leaders -- especially those of French president Chirac - 
do not mean that challenges and obstacles do not await Dr. Rice 
as she attempts to push the American agenda forward.  The French 
president told Dr. Rice that France will support the political 
process in post-election Iraq, but at the same time France wants 
American support for European linkages with Iraq.  The Europeans 
also want greater American involvement in the Arab-Israeli peace 
process, specifically the appointment of a special envoy on the 
issue and the holding of a peace conference at which Sharon would 
commit to removing all of the Jewish settlements in Gaza and four 
settlements in the West Bank by the end of the year." 
 
---------------------- 
New Leader, New Policy 
---------------------- 
 
3. "Al-Watan" also published an editorial on February 13, 
entitled "New Abu Mazen": 
 
"May God be with the new Palestinian leader; he is already being 
tested by outdated political processes and encumbered by the 
overwhelming expectations of his people.  Abu Mazen's first task 
is to distinguish his policies from those of former Chairman 
Yasser Arafat.  He also wants to implement and enforce new rules 
for responding to conflict that reflect his own views.  In 
addition, he hopes to establish a timeframe in which he can 
implement his new policies without outside interference, so that 
they will stand a chance of taking hold and creating a new 
reality for the Palestinian people." 
 
BALTIMORE